[I am Richard Brandon]

Main reason is that punishment has been taken out of punishment. Country Clubs masquerading as prisons are in. Lenient sentencing is in. Verdicts removed in time from offence are in thus removing any deterrent effect are in. Mealy mouthed excusing of crime is in. Glorification of thuggery is in.

The solution

Sorry my bleeding heart friends but you need to ignore excuses, toughen sentences, make incarceration less pleasant, shorten court waiting lines, and ... drop 'self esteem' from your lexicon.

[ctdonath2]

And where there IS punishment, it is all too often overwrought. Minor paperwork transgressions can lead to severe jail time, etc. Easier to administer quota punishments on the compliant than the combative (ex.: how much money & manpower is expended by TSA to achieve what ends, vs. ghettos & border zones with what amounts to “don’t go there ‘cuz the cops won’t” signs).