From a LEO's point of view, I have to say it's not what they do the time for, it's how they do the time, how much time they do, and consequences they face upon release.
The Crime. We can bicker all day long about what should or shouldn't be a crime. For example, Marijuana. Our state legalized possession of up to an ounce. Fed's say it's still illegal. Quite the conundrum. The law is what it is. We have no control over what law makers say will or will not be legal or illegal. So we are better off discussing;
How They Do the Time. Those incarcerated for felonies "give up" their constitutional rights. Yet they have more rights and recourse than we do. As prisoners they are entitled to shelter, clothing, food and necessary medical attention. Yet they have cable TV in their cells, all kinds of amenities, work out rooms, recreation rooms, free job training, free education, free legal, arts and crafts, conjugal visits if married, and receive not only medical, dental and vision care that exceeds most Americans, but counseling, support groups and the like.
What does the victim of their crime receive? Not much, if anything at all. The victim will often be lucky if they receive anything more than a Victim Impact Statement from the prosecutors office.
Some prisoners will be released on probation, or parole depending on where you live, and live with family members. Some will move into halfway houses at the expense of the taxpayer. Some will simply do their time so as not to be under community supervision.
This is not doing time. There is no deterrent in it. Prison is quite comfortable for many of them. It's like a country club that you're not allowed to leave until someone says you can. I personally feel that Sheriff Arpaio runs a model program in Maricopa County, AZ. I agree with his statement that if living in tents and eating MRE's in the middle of the Iraqi desert while being shot at is good enough for our troops, it's good enough for our prisoners. I have no issue that he uses these tents to house more and more prisoners, rather than "Book and Release" because there is no room. I have no issue with his "Vacancy Sign" posted high atop his watchtower. I have no issue that the the television they watch is limited to educational channels in a common area. I have no issue that they wear pink jumpsuits and underwear. I have no issue that porn has been banned. I have no issue that they work on "Chain Gangs" wearing striped jumpsuits. I encourage it. I have no issue that inmates are put on grave detail in Potters Field. I have no issue that he creates an uncomfortable, semi-miserable place for criminals. It's a deterrent and that is the point.
How Much Time They Do. My state introduced the Sentence Reform Act a couple of decades ago. This act ties the hand of judges and gave birth to sentencing guidelines. Which, I guess creates a sense of fairness and consistency. It was to prevent judges from handing down overly harsh sentences to defendants they didn't like, especially for minor crimes. It also did away with "Parole" and created "Probation". Our convicts are no longer on Parole. On Parole, you could be sent back to prison for the remainder of your sentence if you violated it. Probation (Community Supervision) however, doesn't allow this and the most time that someone can be sent back for is 180 days. And this rarely, and I mean rarely, ever happens.
I will give you a couple of examples of some crimes that we as a society, and forum, would say "That's pretty serious and they're going to be in jail for a long time". Ready?
Burglary. Someone breaks into your house or business. They burglarize it. Pretty serious right? Warrants 2-5 years first offense. Ready? 6 months in county jail. Yep. That's it. No kidding. You now will get more time for breaking into my car in the middle of the night, than you will for breaking into my house.
Vehicular Homicide. Douche bag I arrested twice many years ago, with a lengthy record, gets high on Meth and Marijuana. Goes for a drive. Kills a park ranger in a head on collision. Pretty serious right? He got roughly 4 years. Yep. That's it. But you say "He has a long criminal history." Correct. But your long criminal history has little affect on your sentencing. Remember - Sentencing Reform Act. It set guidelines and very nearly treats each crime, as a first offense, with exceptions like multiple violations of a Restraining or Protection Order or, yep, you guessed it, DUI. This guy would have done more time if it was his 5th DUI, than he's doing now for killing someone, WHILE driving under the influence.
I can not tell you how many people around here get arrested for violent crimes, only to discover that they have 25 or 30 PRIOR CONVICTIONS, not just arrests, but CONVICTIONS for misdemeanors AND felonies. One guy was 27 with 8 separate felony convictions and over a dozen misdemeanor convictions. This was in a 9 year period. You do the math. And yes, I asked "Why is he not currently in jail?"
I have a sheet over a page long, of what arrests the jail will, and will not accept. Why? Overcrowding. Most crimes they won't even open the doors to the Sally Port for us to drive in and book a prisoner. No kidding.
Why? Because someone filed a lawsuit against the county and stated that having to sleep on the floor, on a cushioned mat with a single blanket (in an environmentally controlled climate) was cruel and unusual punishment. And the judge agreed. The jail was ordered to provide a bed and appropriate accommodations for each prisoner, or release them. It is literally a revolving door.
Our state has this weird liberal mentality when it comes to this sort of stuff. A whole "It Takes a Village" thing. My county prosecutor's office is notorious for plea bargains and light sentences, reducing charges for those who NEED to be in jail while leaving the victim flapping in the wind, and hammering those who we would all agree, probably deserve a legitimate break. I can't tell you how many firearm related crimes I have seen, with only 2 people receiving a Firearms Enhancement Sentence. It's ridiculous.
So in a nutshell, I believe that crimes against the safety and welfare of the community should be dealt with severely. The time should fit the crime. Right now, it's ass backward. I believe the as a civilized society, despite wanting to hang a child molester from a tree by their willy while stapling their scrotum to their ankle, that prisoners should be given food, clothing, reasonable shelter and NECESSARY medical attention. And not much more. No beatings, no mistreatment or torture, a simple "You comply and we'll be alright". We provide prisoners of war the same "courtesy". These needs are basic human rights, and basic is what they should get. They should be put to work and if they receive any counseling whatsoever, it should be focused on the impact their crimes create on victims. No work out rooms (I don't need stronger criminals), no arts and crafts, no TV, nothing but a book or a copy of Home and Garden Magazine or Hobby Farming.