Another Wrong Message to our Youth

I HAVEN'T followed this story very closely simply because i personally dont have a problem with professional athletes abusing there bodies as they "entertain" us. 
Granted, right or wrong i DO hold Olympic athletes to a higher standard. I guess thats because i just think its a more "pure" competition, done for a more "pure" reason, that NOT being the greed that pervades other professional sports, but rather "national pride". 

Having said all that i feel that Marion Jones got a raw deal IF, If she voluntarily admitted her guilt, without the pressure of a trial looming.   i don't know if that was the case or if the law was closing in on her.  If it was voluntary, something she could have gone on denying, had she wanted to, then she indeed got a raw deal.
 I say that because its NOT the message that we want to sent to our young people, that if you come forward and tell the truth, you will be punished for it. Where is the benefit of being truthful? 
Certainly I'm not  talking about exonerating "REAL" criminals who confess to their crimes, they must still be imprisoned, if the crime calls for it.  However even in the case of whatever you consider serious crimes, if the defendant comes forward and confesses he / she is saving the government countless thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars in some cases. In sensitive cases such as rape, confessing will be saving the victim unbelievable torment from having to testify.That is worth cutting some time off of a sentence, and it is done every day routinely.
      Why in the case of Marion Jones minor offense does the judge find it necessary to send her to jail at all?
Please let me know what you think.