Your point is well-taken and I agree insofar as the solution is not to build more prisons. My point is simply that not punishing people isn't a viable solution

Your point is well-taken and I agree insofar as the solution is not to build more prisons. My point is simply that not punishing people isn't a viable solution, either. France has the same problem as the US (too many people incarcerated) and an equally bad solution (stop incarcerating altogether).