In 1997, Fair Wayne Bryant — a Black man — stole a pair of hedge clippers. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Recently, the Lousiana Supreme Court voted to uphold his original sentence. Given that such an excessively harsh sentence has no increased penal benefit and is exorbitantly expensive, why was such a punishment ever requested? Furthermore, why does our justice system vigorously defend life in prison and other excessive punishments for crimes where they have no conceivable criminological benefit?