I understand your point that a portion of the recidivism is attributable to calculated risk on behalf of career criminals, but I think that in and of itself is

I understand your point that a portion of the recidivism is attributable to calculated risk on behalf of career criminals, but I think that in and of itself is a pretty sad state of affairs. >A person with a criminal record who understands how stacked against him/her society is I would argue that society being stacked against convicts is not congruent with the goal of reform. At the risk of "taking the beliefs I hold about prison and applying them universally", I'd say the U.S. criminal justice system today resembles a vindictive meat grinder that excels at taking deeply troubled people and placing them in an environment that's detrimental to their rehabilitation. It's hard to argue in favor of tough sentencing when the correctional system effectively operates as an overflow for other failed systems—be it mental health, political, education, social welfare, or public safety.