Comment Re:Why can't this be the law everywhere? (Score 1) 271
no, just make it illegal under penalty of long prison sentences for businesses to use public arrest records when considering hiring people. maybe if that hr person was afraid of squatting over a filthy toilet clutching her underwear while looking over her shoulder in fear, 4 times a day for 4 years, she might think twice about denying someone a job for being arrested in a police state. just saying.
Unfortunately its not fear of the punishment that makes someone think twice before committing a crime. Its almost only the prospect of being caught that figures. And of course they think they are awesomely clever so they underestimate the prospects of being caught. So they still commit the crime even if the sentence for, say, stealing a loaf of bread is death by hanging or, possibly worse, being deported to Australia.
Punishment is pretty meaningless in this context. You have to make it really stupid easy for them to be caught so that even their arrogant minds can see it.