So, Bern is a violent criminal, the same for Polly? Bern wanted to help her father. Polly's there for Bern. Warden, your logic, however well-thought out, is flawed. Your country is flawed and screwed-up, the same for their system. Forcing them to fight for their freedom really does nothing to rehabilitate the violent criminals. If anything, it reinforces their violent tendencies. Screwy, that's what it is, screwy....
I don't buy Warden logic either, she and this whole justice system treats the same a person who would willingly and joyfully harm, torture and beat up another human being with a person like Bern(and also Polly in a way)who just forced someone into saving another person life as the big crime while not harming anyone in the process...
Hell in normal case Bern should just get a fine and a time to repay it, either with borrowed money from Polly or as working as bodyguard, than being sent in prison without any kind of fair judgement.
The system is flawed as hell and Warden killing another incompetent corrupt adminsitrator won't make things better if the system is not working in the first place.
Fixing violent criminals by making them spread more violence in fights or in extra night tasks to become sex slaves or to cut or torture others for wealthy sponsors wants and fetishes?
Everything points to idea that Warden is indeed a former prisoner who is either so rich who decided herself to correct and keep the whole system in check, or she has so much marks "earned" during her time that her only real choice as best fighter who can never leave arena now is to be a Warden for the rest of her life.
Also did they forget that Polly for the time of their conversation stays dead and her brain doesn't get needed precious oxygen from some time now?
I know this is magical world but even if they will manage to fix her brain and regenerate all nerves and connections in it due to magical nanites system so it would work properly, but the lack of oxygen time for the brain cells to die can make her completely different person after revival process who can even forget Bern or who she was.
To understand why this is "just" you have to understand the mentality of this government.
Both countries are modern political systems taken to their logical absurdity.
This is a Republican hands-off state, Bern/May's country is a Democratic socialist hands-on state. The absurd degree of the latter is an omnipresent system with grossly high taxes in exchange for free medicine and other services. The former has no taxes, and people are completely free to do anything (including wander around buck naked or engage in weird sex fetishes) provided whatever they do does not force others to do something they don't want, and they have money to pay for it.
Basically, the difference between these two government styles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc5Pkikeb4YSo under this system, if Bern did something nonviolent like steal bread, this would not be a load of marks. What she did was threaten a medic at swordpoint. She also attacked three of the medic's guards. She also asked that a man basically rob from his own coffers to fund free medicine.
Update: I don't think Warden means it is wrong to want peace.
By timid ideals she means...
During Nazi Germany, Austria wanted peace. They got invaded, and had to flee. Saw a movie on it last night, the true story of the Von Trapped family. Poland wanted peace. They got invaded. France's defense sucked. Sorry.
England wanted peace, as in they didn't go around attacking other European countries. But they knew the reality of war. They dug it their heels, and said, "No. We are not going to lose our culture, our truth to the Germans. We are not going to let these guys brutalize our country. They may try, but we're better than that. They knock down our buildings we build them again. Night after night after night. And those of us that can fight back will fight back." America wanted peace. They officially stayed up of the war until Pearl harbor. But they did have some Jewish immigrants, and they did send some munitions under the table from what I hear. And after Pearl Harbor, they did fight back.
A pacifist is one who dislikes violence and bloodshed. A sadist is one who likes it. A realist is one who dislikes it, possibly even as much as the pacifist, but also knows you can't invite thousands of violent people into your country and expect nothing to happen.