Because these people aren't stealing a Ferrari for a joyride, they're stealing things like diapers and laundry detergent... sometimes for personal use, but ofte

Because these people aren't stealing a Ferrari for a joyride, they're stealing things like diapers and laundry detergent... sometimes for personal use, but often to resell to other poor people to fuel a drug addiction. These are people who live in poverty. Their lives are so bad that punishment is near meaningless.