> There is also the view that extreme prison sentences are supposed to be a deterrent and thus are unfair by nature. If know you are at risk of spending 20 years in jail, you won't do the crime. Of course in many cases criminals do not really consider the risk of getting caught, and likely wouldn't know the exact penalties for a given crime anyway...
I'm pretty sure it has been proven multiple times over that harsher sentences don't reduce crime. They serve just as retribution.
The prison industry is huge. The prison guard union even lobbied against decriminalization, it is nuts. Most every jail releases inmates right after midnight so they can charge the state for a full extra day. It is a business.
I'm pretty sure it has been proven multiple times over that harsher sentences don't reduce crime. They serve just as retribution.