“a safe and relatively crime free country way or understanding and compassionate treatment for criminals. You can’t have it both ways!”

You’re wrong. Not only can you have it both ways, you can’t have one without the other.

If you want a safe and relatively crime free country, you have to understand *why* crime exists and understand *why* people commit it.

Seriously, people who think like you are exactly the reason why our country has the largest number of prisoners, both total number and per capita, in the world.

Not only can I disagree on what is most important, I can even contend it is possible to have both. We do not have to become monsters to stop some other evil. Punishment does not have to be much worse than a crime

Punishment for a crime inherently comes after the crime. Fear of punishment comes before the crime. If a person figures he will not be caught or punished, the degree of punishment may not figure in as highly.as it should. For example, the biblical punishment of being required to pay back 4 or 5 times the value of what you were caught stealing doesn’t involve lopping off limbs, does insure restitution is paid, and is expensive enough that people don’t want to take the risk. Your muslim system goes overboard, is excessive, in my opinion.

By the way, if the punishment is harsh enough, a jury is less likely to find a person guilty even though guilt is nearly certain. Some kid stole gum but someone on the jury doesn’t want her to lose her hand, so the jury hangs up or finds her not guilty. Add to it the actual chance that someone else stole the gum and she actually IS innocent.

Imagine a one percent surcharge on income tax for those convicted of a crime and more for each following conviction. Knowing you would be paying for the rest of your life would be a mite cruel too, but not as bloody.

AND
“Cruel or not- history all over the world shows that the pendulum can only swing so far in criminals‘ favor – then people take the law into their own hands”

This is true. Not that people are pendulums but that they can decide to defend themselves from thieves. Maybe they will start chopping off hands as you wish.

While we are at it, let us remember there is more than one way to steal. Some do it by not giving their best effort for their employer, some by not paying every dime of taxes the government THINKS is owed to them, some by claiming something is worth more than it is, and some by claiming to have worked more hours than they actually did.

Which hand are you ready to lose?

Be careful what you wish for, you might get it. Or: “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew 7:2

David for better ways while still stopping bad guys

If the idea of causing physical suffering to people accused of a crime just to be vindictive, genuinely seek help. Being that vile and hateful of your neighbors is disturbing and unhealthy.

Such a great organization with all they do for the kids.
Hopefully the items will be recovered and returned.

Justice serves three purposes: to rehabilitate, to deter, and to prevent.

Prison work-placement programs are rehabilitative. High wages and affordable housing deter crime. Putting violent criminals behind bars prevents additional crimes.

Mutilating people, even if they committed a crime, isn’t justice. It’s sick.