I think you fundamentally misunderstand probation - it's not intended as punishment, more a matter of trying to balance their desire for freedom with everyone else's desire for them to not do something bad again.
By its nature, probation restricts what a person can do, since they aren't fully trusted to operate normally in society, having been convicted of a crime. The goal is not to punish the subject of probation, but rather to give them a measured amount of freedom while limiting the cost and risk of further damage to society.
The alternative is not "no probation", but "no release from jail", which definitely ruins their life. When you look at it from this perspective, lifetime probation can start to look like a good deal.
I think you fundamentally misunderstand probation - it's not intended as punishment, more a matter of trying to balance their desire for freedom with everyone else's desire for them to not do something bad again.
By its nature, probation restricts what a person can do, since they aren't fully trusted to operate normally in society, having been convicted of a crime. The goal is not to punish the subject of probation, but rather to give them a measured amount of freedom while limiting the cost and risk of further damage to society.
The alternative is not "no probation", but "no release from jail", which definitely ruins their life. When you look at it from this perspective, lifetime probation can start to look like a good deal.