Yep. Busting a car window to grab a purse might net the thief less than a hundred, while fixing the window might cause hundreds. Injuries from a mugging may involve thousands in hospital bills. Stolen items from a house will be lucky to be fenced for a few percent of their replacement costs. It's cheaper to have them locked up.
I'd like a variation of the "three strikes" law, where after conviction the jury is handed the guy's ENTIRE criminal record, and gets to vote on whether to execute him.