The Indeterminate Sentence: What Shall Be Done with the Criminal Class?

audiobook

The Indeterminate Sentence: What Shall Be Done with the Criminal Class?

by Charles Dudley Warner

EN·~32 minutes·2 chapters

Chapters

2 total

Part 1

31:35

Part 2

0:37

Description

Introduces a thoughtful examination of society's handling of professional criminals, arguing that current methods are ineffective and driven more by sentiment than scientific analysis. It frames crime as an economic and educational problem, urging a systematic, disciplined approach. It defines the “criminal class” as those whose sole occupation is crime and critiques how the prison system often reinforces that identity.

The author calls for a focused strategy to dismantle this small but growing group, emphasizing the heavy financial and personal costs their existence imposes on the public. He argues that treating crime like a business allows society to craft policies that restore self‑respect to offenders while safeguarding citizens. Listeners will encounter a blend of historical insight, moral reflection, and practical proposals that challenge conventional ideas about punishment and rehabilitation.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~32 minutes (30K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Release date

Dec 5, 2004

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Charles Dudley Warner

Charles Dudley Warner

1829–1900

Best remembered today as Mark Twain’s collaborator on The Gilded Age, this sharp-eyed 19th-century American writer was also a widely read essayist, editor, and travel author. His work mixed humor, social observation, and an easy, conversational style that still feels welcoming.

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