Does punishment deter crime? Despite our extensive use of punishment, our society has a high rate of criminal recidivism—later offenses by people previously convicted of crimes. About three-fourths of prisoners in state penitentiaries have been jailed before, and about two-thirds of people released from prison are arrested again within three years (DeFina & Arvanites, 2002; U.S. Department of Justice, 2008). So, does punishment really deter crime? According to researchers, only 49 percent of all violent crimes and 37 percent of all property crimes are known to the police, and of what is known, only about one in five crimes results in an arrest. Therefore, most crimes go unpunished, rendering the old saying that crime doesn't pay hollow. What is the topic of this paragraph? What is the topic of this passage?