whether or not elizas opinions seem extreme or not, it cant be denied that she has walked the talk. she has put the time and effort in, and so I reckon that carries some weight.
you do hear of success sometimes and " redemption" from a life of crime, but I suspect that these are the rarities.
imo, prison should aim for the correctional, but criminals should expect to be punished, and some measure of deprivation should mark their captivity.