There is a third way between the two extremes mentioned in the article kindly submitted here, and I live in a place with a real-world example of the third way.

There is a third way between the two extremes mentioned in the article kindly submitted here, and I live in a place with a real-world example of the third way. The golden mean between the extremes is to use imprisonment only on convicted criminals who are proven dangerous when out in free society, and to use noncustodial sentences (community service and the like) for convicted criminals who are not particularly dangerous. Minnesota, where I live, does this. Minnesota pioneered determinate sentencing based on severity of the crime and the offender's criminal history[1] and Minnesota has three decades of history with declining to imprison minor drug offenders.[2] A sentencing guidelines system[3] could do a lot in many states to reduce the number of convicted criminals actually sentenced to prison, while making conditions inside the prisons more humane. (Minnesota spends more per prisoner than almost any other state, while spending LESS per taxpayer than almost any other state on its prison system. Many of the worst conditions of prison systems in other states are simply nonexistent in Minnesota.) I live in a crime-free, safe neighborhood such that my children can roam freely for miles from my home without worries. My neighbors and I are confident that a truly dangerous criminal will be apprehended and kept out of society if need be. Young people who fool around with illegal drugs will be diverted to drug treatment programs, but are exceedingly unlikely to face prison time here. We apply criminal punishments to dangerous criminals, and try our best to help everyone straighten out their lives after interaction with the criminal justice system. Other states could do the same--the example has been available for study for my entire adulthood. [1] "Sentencing Reform in Minnesota, Ten Years After" https://litigation-essentials.lexisnexis.com/webcd/app?action=DocumentDisplay&crawlid=1&doctype=cite&docid=75+Minn.+L.+Rev.+727&srctype=smi&srcid=3B15&key=86cb2db14acb65d69beb97284f1ac86d https://litigation-essentials.lexisnexis.com/webcd/app?actio... [2] "Minn. serves as example for drug-sentencing reform" http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1035319/391/Minn-serves-as-example-for-drug-sentencing-reform http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1035319/391/Minn-serves-a... [3] "About the Guidelines" http://mn.gov/sentencing-guidelines/guidelines/about/ http://mn.gov/sentencing-guidelines/guidelines/about/