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				Originally posted by smooth  
Kadath and ubertuber, 
 
The general consensus among criminologists (and sociologists, for that matter) is that increasing penalties for crimes will not lower crime rates--in fact, the evidence strongly suggests increasing penalties leads to an increase in crime. 
 
Politicians have used the public's fear and ignorance as a platform and now the link between intensifying punishment and higher crime rates is an untenable and unfathomable position in the public sphere. 
			
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 I don't find that hard to believe at all.  What would work, though?  Are criminologists just throwing up their hands?