Judge Gives Ecoterrorist Reading List for Jail

It's an unusual case, and it resulted in an unusual sentence. Former ecoterrorist and fugitive Rebecca Rubin got sentenced to 5 years in prison for her crimes in the 1990s, reports the Oregonian. The unusual part is that the judge also ordered her to read two books while behind bars, notes Slate. One is David and Goliath by best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell, which the judge said could show Rubin how to protest through non-violent means. The other book is Nature's Trust by the University of Oregon's Mary Wood, which is about the shortcomings of environmental law.

Rubin turned herself in to authorities in 2012 after years on the run, pleading guilty to arsons and attempted arsons on behalf of the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front. "I was so convinced of the righteousness of my beliefs that I ignored the shortcomings of my own actions," said Rubin in court. After she serves her time, Rubin is supposed to pay $13 million in restitution, reports AP. (More Malcolm Gladwell stories.)