Quote Originally Posted by OngBonga View Post
Consequences act as a deterrent for the vast majority of people. Nobody is perfect, pretty much everyone is capable of some kind of petty crime. Most people don't want to get caught and face the consequences. Even those that give no fucks still don't want to get caught.
The last part is correct. Harsher sentencing doesn't reduce crime, criminals gonna criminal. Most of them don't do it for fun, it's what they see as their best or only option. Severe punishments create more violent crimes, because the criminals risk losing more if they get caught. It makes sense to do less but bigger heists, and using violence or the threat of it has a lower threshold, because you're possibly risking life in prison or a poison needle. Harsher sentencing creates more dedicated and dangerous criminals, who are willing to go further to not get caught.