Justice should restore order without teaching cruelty.

A response to wrongdoing has two jobs, and the second one gets forgotten. Restoring order matters. So does what the response teaches everyone watching about how people may be treated. A harsh process can settle a situation while quietly licensing harshness as normal, and that lesson outlives the case.

When you deal with a wrong, ask what your handling of it demonstrates to people who will remember it. That question tends to improve both the tone and the outcome.