In the United States, we tend to have longer prison sentences and most states have the death penalty, although the justice system is still very messed up (for instance drug penalties are way too harsh, and sex crime laws way too lenient).

However in the majority of the First World, prison sentences for crimes are much less harsh. Which makes sense, because the US is crime-ridden compared to most First World countries, but if they harshened up, would they have even less crime? Or do the penalties the US enforces actually make crime more tempting?

Tough on crime versus soft on crime is less important a question than, "Why is there crime?"

I say America would have far less crime if we had far more social justice and far more economic equality. I'm a liberal, and as Stephen Colbert said, "reality has a liberal bias."
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/11/angel9.gif

I sort of agree our Criminal Justice System is a bit lenient - the term 'Life Imprisonment' has sort of lost it's meaning.

But I largely disagree that being more 'tough' on crime will really reduce crime, especially violent crime. There are so many other intrinsic factors that must be considered, including societal makeup, the social situation.etc. America has the death penalty, yet their homicide rate is nearly 8 times that of ours - which makes you wonder...