Anyone interested in the topic should take a look at _When Brute Force Fails_, by Mark Kleiman[1].
Briefly, a drug policy guy makes the case that "swift and certain" punishment with pretty usually not very severe outcomes does a lot better as deterrence than what we do now.
There's a lot to digest, and I don't think anyone is going to agree with all of it - he gores a lot of oxen. But it is meticulously researched and reasoned, and hard for this non-policy professional to argue with. Really worth at least borrowing at the library for folks who like grappling with reality at a policy level.
Mark was also a prolific blogger who died recently. I didn't know him, but did read his blog.
Briefly, a drug policy guy makes the case that "swift and certain" punishment with pretty usually not very severe outcomes does a lot better as deterrence than what we do now.
There's a lot to digest, and I don't think anyone is going to agree with all of it - he gores a lot of oxen. But it is meticulously researched and reasoned, and hard for this non-policy professional to argue with. Really worth at least borrowing at the library for folks who like grappling with reality at a policy level.
Mark was also a prolific blogger who died recently. I didn't know him, but did read his blog.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/When-Brute-Force-Fails-Punishment/dp/...