It isn't meant to. It's meant in large part to deter people from negatively impacting society and making otherwise good places to live deteriorate into shithole

It isn't meant to. It's meant in large part to deter people from negatively impacting society and making otherwise good places to live deteriorate into shitholes. Which is what happens to those places when leniency and misutilized compassion allows for crimes to be committed against the citizenry with little or no recourse. It's that mindset that leads to the bizarre policies that plague many parts of the country. It would be great if we somehow found a way to ensure that everyone had every need fulfilled. However, that is orthogonal to the issue of what to do when a person has crossed the line we've drawn in the sand for what is acceptable in a safe society.