Jeremy Bentham had an interesting idea. How can we apply Occam’s Razor to prison systems?
Occam’s Razor is a theory which says the simplest explanation is the best.
Jeremy Bentham thought that applying this to prison systems means that we should prevent more suffering than we cause through penalties.
For example, jailing a murderer for life might make sense as preventing another murder would save a lifetime of suffering. But jailing a food thief for five years prevents very little suffering while causing a large amount.