>
> >
> > Valjean served something like 10 years or more
>
> 19 years, of which only a little bit was his original time served for stealing the bread (He broke a window pane to get to it, too.) The rest of the time was for the many escape attempts that he made.
>
> Ti'just thought I'd clear that up'cia

He stole the bread because his sister and her child were starving, and there was nothing else he could do. But Valjean's sense of fairness runs deep, because at one time someone is arrested and is presumed to be Valjean. Valjean knows that the gentleman arrested is innocent, so he gives himself in.

ding"fairy nuff"dong