Have you ever thought about how easy it is to go from hating something, to hating the person(s) who do that something? Likewise, how easy it is to want to punish what, or who, we do not like or accept. More and more people, who are fed up with the Fed's version of criminal justice, are anticipating God's justice to come as "The Chastisement." Not many people, however, think of chastisement as different from punishment, but it is as different as God's ways are from humankind's.
Punishment, per se, is not attributed to God. Punishment is correction with a view towards the (one's) past, but God is always looking forward (like a good parent) to the (one's) future.
Chastisement, on the other hand, is correction with a view towards the (a better) future for the person/nation. It can be tough love, but never capricious retaliation. Likewise, chastisement maintains respect/hope for the individual and the lesson learned from his/her mistake/crime. It is not so much about rehabilitation as it is about redemption.
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So here's my suggestion in lieu of incarceration or vigilantism: Allow every person, whether parents, godparents, relatives and friends in general (even fellow employees), who cared for/about the victim to administer a sting to the heart of the perpetrator. One way (seriously and non-violently) would be lashes with wet (lasagna?) noodles accompanied by spoken reasons for the indignation. For example, a mother would deliver nine lashes for the nine months she carried in the womb, a father the number corresponding to the number of brothers and sisters affected and so forth.
Believe me, if the perpetrator of the offense is not humiliated (or at least edified) by this show of solidarity with the victim, then The Chastisement can not come soon enough.
