Could $30,000 a year prevent one crime?

[pan1]

@Der_Trihs

Unless it encourages people to become criminals. By, for example, producing the feeling among the more frequently imprisoned sections of the populace that they’ll be tossed into prison whether they commit a crime or not.

If prison prevents crime, why are we such a high crime society, despite our enormous rate of imprisonment?

Incaration is not the cause of the effects of society on the underpriveledged.
Who says we have a high crime society?
We just have the resources to police/enforce our laws. Countries with lower crime rates are generally poorer and ignore minor crimes completlely to focus their efforts on crimes with victims. Otherwise they are countries with such strict restrictions on personal freedoms, the opportunity to commit crime doesn’t arise as often.