Re:Ramen noodles 'are most valuable US prison commodity', st...
by pjc50 on Tuesday August 23, 2016 @07:05AM
(#12342740)
What matters in deterrence is getting caught, more than the actual duration or intensity of the punishment.
(It's also important that people are not punished when they're not guilty, which the US tends to forget. The other side of reinforcement learning. The tendency of US police to administer adhoc punishment up to and including execution on the street is a problem. You can't say "don't commit crimes or you'll be in trouble with the police" when simply driving while black can get you in trouble with the police.)
(It's also important that people are not punished when they're not guilty, which the US tends to forget. The other side of reinforcement learning. The tendency of US police to administer adhoc punishment up to and including execution on the street is a problem. You can't say "don't commit crimes or you'll be in trouble with the police" when simply driving while black can get you in trouble with the police.)