Crime is complex, but we know with certainty that one of its causes is crime. If you grow up in a high-crime neighborhood, crime is a normal part of your daily

Crime is complex, but we know with certainty that one of its causes is crime. If you grow up in a high-crime neighborhood, crime is a normal part of your daily life, and you are much more likely to engage in crime yourself (thus perpetuating the cycle) than someone from a low-crime community. As such, incarceration is addressing a root cause. Further, virtually no one in American politics is arguing that incarceration is sufficient, but rather the debate is about whether or not it is necessary or if we can (for example) replace police with social workers and call it a day.