Hey, I didn't get to chip in on the gun hijacked thread

[Water Warrior 2]

Music Man, yup the penalties are just a slap on the wrist here too. Heaven forbid we offend some poor cretin from a dysfunctional family.
This next little bit may sound extreme but it worked. Years ago(40?) I talked to a Lady of European decent and she said in her country nobody went to prison twice. Wish I could remember which country. The prison conditions were very harsh because the prisoners were serving time and the word serve meant something over there. Inmates broke rock in a quarry to supply railroad beds, road beds and other construction. Enough rock had to be sold to support the prison system and cover all costs. That included the guards wages so they were issued whips and clubs to keep the inmates working. Even your fellow inmates would take a swipe at you for slacking off.
If you didn't survive prison no problem. If you did survive you would not take a chance again of going to prison. Anyone actually facing a second prison term was considered smart if they took their own life.
I won't say we should revert to a system as harsh but a real punishment in a real prison might do wonders for first timers to get over a potential life of crime.