However great the difference between the expected profit and the fine, a purely financial penalty for crime will always encourage three things: gambling, trying outsmart the government by finding ways to make more profit or reduce the chance of being caught, and rich people ignoring the law and committing the crime for non-financial reasons (for example: thrill seeking, as a favor to someone, to enable another crime, or from pure malice) with no real penalty to them.
I think we both agree jail is a more appropriate punishment, though we're making the argument in different ways.
However great the difference between the expected profit and the fine, a purely financial penalty for crime will always encourage three things: gambling, trying outsmart the government by finding ways to make more profit or reduce the chance of being caught, and rich people ignoring the law and committing the crime for non-financial reasons (for example: thrill seeking, as a favor to someone, to enable another crime, or from pure malice) with no real penalty to them.
I think we both agree jail is a more appropriate punishment, though we're making the argument in different ways.