Jeff Skilling, former CEO of Enron, has been sentenced to more than twenty-four years in prison for his role in one of the biggest con-jobs in corporate history. The presiding judge in the case chose to slap Skilling with the maximum sentence as retribution for the staggering number of people whose financial security was destroyed as the result of his crimes.

Of course, Skilling will be allowed to earn time off for good behavior. Can’t do the time? Just behave yourself after you do the crime.

Skilling has also been ordered to undergo treatment for alcoholism, successful completion of which will shave even more time off of his sentence. Haven’t you heard? Victimizers are the new victims.

Some years ago, one co-worker of mine was verbally sparring with another. With mock exasperation, he said to her, “There’s a special Hell for people like you.”

I “consoled” the butt of this light-hearted rebuke by telling her, “Don’t listen to him. There’s no special Hell for you. You’ll go to the same Hell as everyone else.”

If there’s any justice in the afterlife, the same will be true for Jeff Skilling.