Sounds like the author is trying to convince us, or perhaps herself.  So we just have to wait and see whether this "experiment" will actually work.  In the mean time, we better be prepared to defend ourselves from those who committ property crimes and other such activities (anything short of murder) because the new legal system turnstile is simply going to put these miscreants back on the street with a promise that they won't do it again!  Good luck!

The point that has been missed by reformers is that although the criminals may not have been reformed of their bad ways while in prison under the old system...at least they were off the streets and we weren't being victimized by them.  Now they get an easy pass and will be out on the street and the hope is that the new reformist programs will somehow change their ways...who suffers if this doesn't work?