punishment-by-exile

This chapter explores the use of mined-out asteroids and other celestial bodies as prisons for humanity's criminals, transforming them into isolated habitats in orbit around Earth or in cometary orbits. It details the evolution from early mining and habitation efforts to the development of 'brute orbits' as a form of life imprisonment without parole, highlighting the social, political, and ethical implications of exiling convicts far from Earth. The narrative also reflects on the failures and consequences of this system, including prison breaks, public reactions, and the moral dilemmas surrounding justice and punishment in space.