Crime rates were low enough before that it has only really been a problem following the introduction of Africans and Middle Easterners into our nation states. A penal system geared towards resocialization can work pretty well in high trust, high IQ homogeneous societies.
It has been interesting to see society gradually adjust to the new normal. In Denmark we have seen continuouesly stricter laws and sentencing in the past ten years, last three especially under our current right wing government and due to strong popular demand. We have new gang laws in place from just a few months ago which gives double sentencing to all gang related violence, a law meant to combat the very aggressive immigrant gangs in our cities. There's also new 'ghetto laws' underway, which will give double sentencing to people in particularly crime-ridden immigrant areas, what we call 'parallel-societies', practically a review of the principle of equality under the law.
But yes, devoted corporeal punishment is probably the only thing the savages understand, so we share our predicament with the rest of the civilized world.
Exciting where mass immigration will lead us in the future.