Crime and punishment are linked as a single word. There are many reasons for number of people locked away in all the countries of the world. I will only speak for modern democracies where the incarcerated are there for criminal acts and not for their political agenda or religious teachings. In the U.S. they lock away 14 year olds for life without parol for crimes of murder. The judicial system is hell-bent on punishment, but not the means of reeducation. The public schools turn out teenagers without hope of finding jobs, poorly educated, and involved in gangs. I do not have the answer because there is no magic bullet, but I know the average criminal is usually smart and every human being has potential. I find that governments have billons to spend on armaments, and foreign aid, but few have the will to correct the plight of our inner cities and the incarcerated. Regards