I remember when it used to be a bad idea to commit armed robbery while on probation for stabbing someone in the neck.
Mike Hammer, Jake and the Fatman and many others would put the muscle on some loser who knew where a kidnapped girl was duct taped and about to be murdered but wouldn't snitch on the guys he knew. The detectives would threaten him with turning him in unless he told them what he knew behind the scenes. "With your record you'll be living on free room and board for a lotta years."