system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[General SciFi] What's the point of a suspension sentence?

I'm currently reading a collection of short stories by Peter F. Hamilton and the one I'm on right now takes place in the Commonwealth.  It mentions a person being sentenced to 2.5k years of suspension.  What I'm wondering is what is the point of sentencing a person to a sentence of any length where at one end they go to sleep and the other end they wake up without really realizing that any time had happened in between.  As far as a sentence being punitive goes how s that any sort of punishment at all?  As far as the punishee is aware no time has passed and the only thing that happens is society has changed dirastically sense they were put under.  I don't see how this reforms prisoners.

Edit: Thank you all for your responses!
gpt
It's a way to prevent a criminal from ever seeing their family or friends or anything else they may love (or even recognize) again. It's a death sentence without killing.

It's meant to be punitive, but to also act as a deterrent against others thinking of committing a crime, because they'd basically give up their entire world if caught.