Alabama doubles down on penalties while ignoring why people steal

As holiday deliveries pile up, Alabama has decided the answer to stolen packages is not less inequality or actual economic support, but a new law that turns repeated package theft into a felony, carrying up to 10 years in prison. Nothing says “community safety” like throwing people in cages for grabbing a box when they couldn’t otherwise feed their kids, or expecting them to pay attention to penalties when they can barely afford to exist.

Alabama Law Enforcement Officers believe the threat of long prison sentences will make would‑be package thieves think twice. Meanwhile, millions of Americans are driven to theft not by impulse but by necessity when wages lag, housing costs skyrocket, and social safety nets are threadbare. Deterrence theory claims tougher punishment stops crime. Real-world data says otherwise, especially when people aren’t weighing penalties before acting on basic survival needs.