Quote:
Originally posted by Melusine:
quote:
Originally posted by shadowhound:
I think that it would deter other crimes if they did.
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I don't think it did in the Europe of past centuries. [/QUOTE]I'm curious as to whether or not it did. At one time, you couldn't enter London without passing hanging corpses. It was a warning put up on every road into the city. As to how effective it was, I'd be hard-pressed to say.
But, I did read last year about a jewel thief who turned himself in in Belgium. Seems that now that he's hidden the fruits of the heist, he's happy to do the maximum time for the crime (5 years) and retire on the loot when he gets out. Now, there's a flaw in the system for sure.
I also remember the movie In the Name of the Father. I don't know if it is accurately representative of prisons in the UK, but it looks a little too easy for my taste. (You may recall the scene where the guy ate Nigeria from the puzzle.) I'd like to see them suffer more. Otherwise, it's not quite the deterrent.