there is no such thing as rehabilitative justice, which is just secularized christian theology of redemption; there is only keeping dangerous or destructive people away from the rest of us. if they manage to reform themselves all the better, but the stats don't indicate any persistent institutional success despite decades of effort and rotating fashions. the thing that actually brought crime down after its tremendous mid-century spike is mass incarceration, ie taking the pareto tail out of circulation

I don't think you're familiar with the topic. Nearly every single person who goes to jail will be released and may become your neighbor. I suggest you research the subject instead of pulling anecdotes from your ass.

" the stats don't indicate any persistent institutional success despite decades of effort and rotating fashions"

This is the exact problem that fuels mass incarceration and costs us tax payers and society infinite sums. In some places, even in Texas this model has been rejected because it's more expensive for tax payers to jail everyone.

Let's spell it out for the obstinate:

Jails have incentive to fill beds.

Jails have incentive to not rehabilitate.

Inmates go to jail and become worse because they're in a bad place.

Inmates are released with hostile support (probation).

Jail bed gets filled.

....

"schools have incentive to fill desks. schools have incentive to not educate. students go to school and become worse because they're in a bad place"

It's an interesting suggestion, but not a good analogy. In many areas schools actually begin the prison pipeline. Children don't stay in school longer or continually cycle in and out. In poor areas they go to jail.

It's clear you hate people. Most people in jail haven't even been convicted of a crime. Nearly all plea, and rarely any go to trial.