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Letter: On the crime and punishment debate (2)

Published 29 October 2025

From Dave Neale, Bedford, UK

Throughout humankind’s history, we have had to get used to taking high risks simply in order to eat. If it didn’t take risks, the tribe starved. Humanity has evolved to live with risks as a part of normal life. So the idea that criminals are deterred by the fairly low risk of being caught and consequently punished is essentially flawed.

Issue no. 3567 published 1 November 2025

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