> > None of that costs taxpayers anything, of course. (??) In any case, government should not be bought out of administering justice because an alternative is cheaper.
>
> Why does this debate always come down to money? If a compassionate and effective result (which I personally believe would have been achieved in this instance if it weren't for the vigilantes) costs money, why is that such a sin?

Um. Isn't that more or less exactly what I just said?

The "None of that costs taxpayers anything, of course" was a refutation of Zarniwoop's argument that life imprisonment costs money, whereas surveilling them in their freedom somehow does not.