Cryptographic protocols for government?

[Jim Choate]

In such a world the question of what a crime is would be easy to define,

A crime is an act, or in some cases a failure to act, which harms a
person, property, or a public trust without prior permission.

In any 'crime' in that society there would be a very pissed of body
wanting 'justice' or else a dead, rotting one. There would be 'evidence'
of crime.

Theft, or more properly 'property violations' perhaps, where one persons
property was taken, used, or simply trespassed across without permission.
However, with that sort of ubiquitous technology I suspect there would be
several cameras with sufficient documentation to resolve the issue. GPS
receivers that page you if your care exceeds three (3) miles from some
specified location. etc.

Breaking a 'public trust', I'm still working on. Clearly parallel issues
of 'evidence' arise similar to 'theft'. The question, and one I'm not
prepared to attempt to answer publicly today, is "Are there any
differences? Is there some special class specific character?"

As to criminals and how to deal with them...

In my mind the majority of 'criminals' aren't trying to 'destroy society',
they're trying to live their life and having a hard time of it. While they
may have 'initiated a harmful act' they are also a victim, ask any 12 year
old kid who shot themselves in the head because the people around her
thought they were somehow 'better'. Burglars and such (mainly no person
was harmed) I wouldn't put in jail, unless they refused to co-operate or
else broke 'the deal'. I'd require them to continue with their lives, get
a job, pay a restitution amount (reasonable, not some trumped up bullshit
to pay for some feds Porsche payment), and participate in other 'social'
acts (eg each Saturday for the next 20 years you will go over to the
persons house you broke into and mow their lawn and do yard work at your
own expense).

Why the hell the people pay for a criminals incarceration is beyond me. I
certainly have no desire to pay for the assholes room and board. Anyway...

If they got in trouble a second time during that 20 years, then they would
have to start all over again. Do it three times and it's off to jail. But
not todays jails, probably not like any jails ever.

For non-violent and non-likely-to-escape (remember all that ubiquitous
technology) prisoners they would be assigned a house, a job, and a routine
to fill their week. It should require mandatory educational tracks the
prisoner pays for. The pay would be equivalent to a 'outside' job. The
prisoner would be required to take care of the house and such at their own
expense. Their family should even be allowed to live there as far as that
goes.

Now, what about violent offenders? In my mind the worth of parole, time of
for good behaviour, etc. are nil. If a person commits a violent crime
where a person is harmed (but not killed or seriously incapacitated) and
the priosoner is not likely to do it again, I suggest something in the
neighborhood of a minimum sentence of 20 years. For acts where a person
was killed the prisoner should get life. They should be isolated from
other prisoners as well. They should still be required to keep a job if
they want anything beyond three hots and a cot.

Now, what about prisoners who are violent and don't want to co-operate?
Treat them just like lifers but only for their sentence. When released, if
a subsequent crime is commited and they still don't consent to cooperate
then sentence them to life. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice,
shame on you. Fool me three times, shame on me."

On Thu, 5 Apr 2001, Ray Dillinger wrote:

> And in a crypto-enabled world, where anyone can say anything 
> anonymously and as publicly as they like, information will be 
> available.  (insert caveat re: sturgeon's law)  

> So, a question.  How could a reasonably peacable and stable  
> society, lacking government-as-we-know-it but rich in automation
> and cryptographic protocols, deal with crime and criminals? 

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