Does the U.S. criminal justice system work?

[Islander]

In these enlightened times, separating the “bad” from the “mad” is a given. Far more complex is the rationale for imprisoning the lawbreaker. Of the five functions of imprisonment, how many do we do well?

• Retribution: to punish and to exact revenge.
• Specific deterrence: to discourage the criminal from repeat behavior.
• General deterrence: to discourage others from the same behavior.
• Prevention: to keep society safe while the criminal is behind bars.
• Rehabilitation: to reform the criminal and enable him to earn an honest living.

Taxpayers are covering room and board for a system that fails to perform its functions.

(Let's not get into the death penalty, which is a topic for a different thread.)