Due to the varied supernatural and extraterrestrial needs of many of Manta Carlos' citizens, the lines of legal and illegal behavior are more blurred than they are in other places.
Manta Carlos primarily operates on a legal status of mutual consent: generally speaking,
so long as an activity is being engaged by consenting parties and public order is not disturbed, the activity is generally legal. There is nuance involved, of course, but laws are based less on typical human standards of morality. Sex work and marijuana are legal, for example, for those of the age to consume them.
The age of consent on Manta Carlos is sixteen, or the developmental equivalent for a given species. The age to consume alcohol and other legal drugs is eighteen, or the developmental equivalent for a given species.
Of note, petty and other forms of spontaneous crime, such as muggings, are not particularly common on Manta Carlos. Someone wanting to rob a victim might find they have bitten off more than they can chew when their intended target is much stronger than they are.
Manta Carlos works on a system of restorative rather than punitive justice. It aims to get offenders to take responsibility for their actions, to understand the harm they have caused, to give them an opportunity to redeem themselves and to discourage them from causing further harm. For victims, its goal is to give them an active role in the process and to reduce feelings of anxiety and powerlessness.
Community service is common for wrongs committed, along with mandated therapy for the offender. The
Behavioral Corrections Facility is used as a more extreme measure for offenders who are an immediate danger to themselves and others.
