I'm not arguing for a universal policy. Clearly circumstances must be taken into account for repeat offenders. Drug addiction and the crimes that spring from i

I'm not arguing for a universal policy. Clearly circumstances must be taken into account for repeat offenders. Drug addiction and the crimes that spring from it are a different matter. There is a clear cause for the crime: the addiction. Fix that, no more repeat offenses. However most rehab programs for addicts that end up in the criminal justice system aren't that great, so that's another area that needs fixing. Regardless, my point is just that consequences for criminal acts should never be simple punishment if there are options with a better net benefit for society. That will of course mean there has to be a detergent aspect to things as well, which may take the form of a punishment, but not a punishment for its own sake.