Ideally it'd be rehabilitating the offender, so they can rejoin society and be less likely to offend in the future.
This could mean mental health evaluation and treatment, addiction counseling, education and job training to help them learn a skill, and restorative justice.
17 years is a long time to think about what you've done, so it's very possible that he is no longer a threat to society. And if there's no evidence that he has committed crimes while living in the cave, how likely is he to commit crimes going forward?
I think it should be brought in, evaluated, and released if he no longer poses a threat.
> Punishment? This clearly was less harsh, or he would not prefer it.
The fact that it was less harsh does not mean it was not harsh enough; meaning that chineese concentration camps might be disproportionately harsh to the crime (although his crimes were among the worst, so...)
> Protecting society? He roams free.
That's an exaggeration, I highly doubt that he could roam free. His maximum radius of travel must have been severly limited, given no access to transportation, plus it looks like so, as he did not move away from that, high risk area.
> A deterrent? Leaving him there would send the message to others that escaping and evading capture is a viable route to freedom.
Nonetheless, it is a viable route to freedom. It would be enforced/promoted if they left him though.
Punishment? This clearly was less harsh, or he would not prefer it.
Protecting society? He roams free.
A deterrent? Leaving him there would send the message to others that escaping and evading capture is a viable route to freedom.