That's the rub, isn't it? Are you rehabbing or punishing or both? I can tell you that last year the city announced it would no longer be responding to a whole host of misdemeanors, including several assaults, burglaries (even WITH camera footage), criminal trespassing, etc. What happened? No policing, an angry populace that had no options and people openly talking about vigilantism and executing it. That is a MUCH bigger problem to me than setting boundaries, setting penalties, and paying a price for poor decisions. Additionally, there are thousands of not tens of thousands of outstanding warrants. Police only execute those warrants if they were certain types of violent crimes. The only other way you're going to be picked up for outstanding warrants is if you get pulled over or someone checks your ID. The odds are in your favor that you won't be checked. Years ago, if you drove on a suspended license or without insurance, you went to jail. Now they don't do that and the incidences of hit and run, repeat suspended license drivers, etc have increased in a huge way. Even when you are directly responsible for multiple accidents and even injury, and you're driving without a license or insurance, you're unlikely to go to jail.
And diversionary programs like drug and alcohol programs? All you have to do is tell the prosecutor that you want to be admitted and it will be a condition of your suspended sentence along with restitution (if any). What happens then? People don't show up for the programs and never make payments. Sure, they can issue new warrants, but they never get executed EVEN when they know where they live and where they work.
Ask me how I know all of this. I've had a heck of an education in the last 10 years but most especially in the last year or three. The general public is fed up. I'm not so happy myself. The above isn't a list of uncommon events...and not even just recollections by me or those around me. Neighbors, cops, judges, prosecutors, parole officers, and agency folks who handle all the warrants and programs will tell you the same thing. The only people who seem happy are the politicians who use it to whip up their bases while not making the tough choices to fix the issues.
YMMV.
