It's a tough call for what to do with these kids. If you stick them in prison even for a short time, their lives are effectively over i.e. good luck getting a job with a criminal record especially when they've been charged with sexual assault. If you let them rot in prison for the rest of their lives, then we're all still taking care of them.
I don't think you should hold the US prison system with such high regard. Isn't the US #1 or #2 in the world for the number of people incarcerated in the world? What a waste of human potential and dollars housing these people.
Not a fan of the US Prison SYSTEM. Too privatized, too corrupt. More to the point, too full of people charged with petty drug possession - but that is a matter of bad laws, not a bad system.
I am, however, a fan of the single justice concept of consecutive sentencing for multiple crimes committed at the same time. Concurrent is a joke, and completely negates consequences for further criminality in the process of an act. Gang Rape victims #2, 3, 4, 5, 6 have to be content with their attackers serving 10-15 years for #1 and in essence NOTHING MORE for them.
But if you perpetrate 1 gang rape, do your time, the get released and perpetrate another, you've done 2 heinous acts (still a lot less than 6!) and will be sentenced to another 10-15... and end up doing TWICE the actual time as the douchebag who raped 6 women in rapid succession during a single crime spree.
How is that justice?
With consecutive sentencing, you'll do 10-15 for each of the 6 instances so you're going to die in prison, having paid the price of each rape individually. And in this case Mr. 6x Rapist will also never have the opportunity to re-offend.
As for their lives being effectively over - too fucking bad. We're talking about rapists here, why should the perpetrators of such crimes deserve any opportunity at a successful life?