Very rarely does a serious Criminal begin with murder, extortion etc. They start small, so it is there that the efforts of law enforcement need to be concentrated, what they now wrongly call petty crime. Zero tolerance, harsh penalties -- New York was once the most violent and crime ridden City in the World, Mayor Giuliani -- zero tolerance --- safe to walk in a lot of places now!
What is all this nonsense about lack of prisons? We have many remote Airfields, Army Camps that could be converted -- don't tell me you can keep people in them, we seemed to have managed in the 1940's around the World! To hell with their Human Rights on visits, "if you cant do the time don't do the crime"! I wonder what would happen to the drug issues in Prisons if a Prison Officer faced minimum 10 years in Jail and loss of every right, pensions etc. if caught passing or allowing drugs to be passed? Couldn't get all those drugs in without corrupt Prison Officers could they?
The issue is that "petty crime" such as vandalism -- excuse me, wilful destruction of property in my book and should have to fully compensate as well as serve appropriate sentence, Actual Bodily Harm -- assault and damage to a human being -- should do serious time minimum 5 years, Burglary 1st offence should be 5 years no parole! Why do children misbehave --- they are testing what they can get away with -- understanding their boundaries -- that is exactly what these potential hardened criminals do -- and they find us wanting!