Hello Not A Penny:  You know I wasn't aware we Liberalsl were "pro crime."  I, being a life-long Liberal, have never supported nor heard any other Liberal defend crime or criminals.  I have commented and written OpEds questioning the success of our current penal system.  The rate of recidivism is so high that one could argue a prison sentence increases the liklihood of furture criminal behavior rather than deterring it.  We, among industrialized nations, have both the highest rate of incarceration and the highest crime rate.  

I've always said, and I'll say it again.  The fear of a prison sentence is a very successful deterrent for persons who aren't going to commit a crime anyway.  That's not just a "smart ass" comment...It's the key point here.  Fear of prison is not a successful deterrent for criminals........Sure, if you just want to "keep them off the street", a five, ten or, hey, make it fifteen or twenty year sentence would do it. Gary Crum