As the state, reduces its punishment or mistreatment of its so-called criminals
or crime breakers, so too does the violence and criminal activiety rates reduce in society. This seems to be the finding in one of Stephen Pinker’s latest book, The Myth of Violence.
Too thick for me to read it (some 4 inches), I browsed through its many graphs and tables that showed the steady decline of violence and the reduction of punishment from the state, such as ending the death penalty, over the years.
AKA, the better one treats someone the bette they treat us.
I think that institutions should not think so much about being “fairer”, ie “an eye for an eye”, but more so, think about being less fair, erring on the side of the individual ie. “turn the other cheek”, or what I call quality equality.
So it is not so much that crime doesen’t pay as much as punishment doesn’t pay!
This could also be something parents could take note of with any sort of physical or psychological punishment they see fit to use on their chlidren.