Crime And Punishment

Crime and punishment to me is that if you commit a crime you get a punishment and the Courts hope you will get the picture and not commit a crime again? I think that some punishments are harsh and cruel I think it depends on the state you live in some punishment is more cruel. California for example the strike 3 law to me is silly if a person does a minor law 3 times it turns to a felony life in prision or 25 years that to me is over punishment. I do think you do the crime do the time but I all so feel we need more resource to help these people to turn their lives around. We need to start with our troubled youth before it is too late. Determination of each specific sentence would be the juries our lives our in the hands of 12 people. To determin a sentence the jury looks for the following.
-whether the offender is a first time offender,   if the offender was the main offender or a accessory, offender committed the crime under great personal stress or anyone was hurt. Whether the offender was particularly cruel to the victim. Before sentencing the court will ask the the defendant to make a personal statement on there behalf and present any information to help with the punishment.
He debate on Capital punishment is the death pentalty some belive in it and some do not. Some believe in an eye for eye others believe you should not kill anyone even under the law.