Answer:
In order to get Mahes, and people like him, to stop seeking out prison time, New York need to establish job opportunities in order to engage such people and/or charity organizations that can house these set of people and endeavour to assist them.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the text "A Thief Dines Out, Hoping Later to Eat In" By Rick Bragg on The New York Times, we can infer that Mr. Mahes needed were he could eat well and sleep. So he felt that he could get it in the prison.
When Mr. Mahes came into New York City, he thought he was going to find milk and honey but he didn't. People tend to help and feed their own and neglected others
Mr. Mahes and other poor people like him can stay out of prison if there is adequate provisions like adequate job opportunities, free housing, workable charity organizations, etc., that can help them.