I like the concept, but think the whole "release the beast"/everyone's fair game (though there are exceptions) was, IMO, sloppy. If I had to write the story of this, I'd play up a morality angle by having the Purge as something sponsored by the Justice Department where, when you are arrested and found guilty, addition to any jail time you see, you are registered into a raffle-like base where, each year on the "Purge Night", they announce what crime is "in season", and distribute the names and home addresses (as well as other information) of those charged and found guilty of said crime via website. Prior to Purge Night, people of the USA go and register at police stations and receive tracking bands, body cams and on the night, go hunting for the "criminals in season", and the more trophies to collect, the more money they receive (trophies, in this case, almost always mean "heads"). You have the crooked government selling the event as a way the "People of this Great Nation can take Justice into their own hands and literally PURGE CRIME". There are some rules though, like you are forbidden from attacking fellow "purgers", forbidden from harming the "game's" families, and are forbidden from hunting out other criminals not in season.
One year might have all child molesters in season, the next, all those convicted of fraud. Of course, lots of drama regarding different characters being tossed into the mix. Maybe someone's falsely accused or got busted because of their situation. It could be a kid from a poor family, a family man, other people that aren't bad people but the extra corrupt law enforcers of this world (still somewhat near future setting) has it in for certain people. Yeah, political as hell, but some great questioning of what is right and what is wrong when you let a nation take the law into their own hands. I don't know, I thought that would've been a more interesting concept than "it is scientifically proven humans need to release the beast, then 99% ALL crime will stop, cause that's what leads to ALL crime, mankind's pent up rage because they aren't allowed to KILL things!".
