Here's a thought experiment. I've long thought about the concept of incarceration. It seems like it sort-of works because it denies something very valuable for people: their freedom. But is it the best system for societal punishment? Especially when considered along side the goal of rehabilitation (since 99.9999% of the incarcerated are ultimately released) and reducing recidivism.
Here's another method for societal punishment. You are convicted and you are not put into prison. In fact, your life continues as it has; you still go to your job, live with family, etc etc. But each day you are given a 1 minute session of pain at 6PM. The intensity of the pain is commensurate with the severity of the crime. Obviously, a murderer would have a significantly stronger pain setting than someone who commits fraud. And someone who commits fraud, and then re-offends, will have an increased pain intensity.
I think that psychologically this would be very difficult to deal with; knowing that every day at 6PM, you will be subject to pain. You would start to dread the experience, and the anticipation of such daily pain would be absolute misery. Especially coupled with the threat that additional offences would result in harsher pain.
Now this might be deemed as barbaric, yet I can't think of a more barbaric punishment than being forcibly enclosed in a caged environment amongst violence, gangs, not seeing loved ones, etc.
So would this system produce the desired outcome? A punishment for their crimes and the incentive not to re-offend, without the loss of freedom?
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