I did a little tour of one of the jails in Calgary (when the prisoners were out). The social worker said that 1/3 of his clients will never come to jail again, they have learned their lesson; 1/3 will come to jail a few more times until they learn their lesson; 1/3 will be in and out of jail their entire life.

Again this anecdote is 20 years ago and in Canada.

Those who commit small crimes but seemingly get away with their crimes often go through life with a millstone around their neck. Some do learn and will not re-offend. They may not apologize or understand the trauma they caused. But if they see jail in their future if they continue doing their activities, that shows the system is working.

It is better for the victims to forgive--and not let these perpetrators run freely in the victim's minds. There's not much sense in waiting for these people to acknowledge their mistakes, especially if they have passed away.

Easier said than done. But when done, it is liberating. Everyone's road to forgiveness is different.