"At risk of stating the obvious, the primary utility of incarceration is to prevent the convict from victimizing more innocents." This is not the purpose of in

"At risk of stating the obvious, the primary utility of incarceration is to prevent the convict from victimizing more innocents." This is not the purpose of incarceration in Germany or the Scandinavian countries. The purpose there is simply loss of freedom for a short while as punishment, and assistance to better yourself for when you're released. And their low recidivism rates bear this out.