Compare to Scandinavian countries where they're closing prisons down because they don't have prisoners to put in them because they simply have less crime, and when someone DOES commit a crime, they rehabilitate them.
Wrong. It is actually the opposite situation here in Sweden now, unfortunately. That was perhaps the goal and sentiment respectively thirty years ago.
Today, the prisons are full, and there have been inquiries to rent cells in other countries until new prisons have been built.
The current administration had been elected for being "tough on crime", and wants to put 13-y/o's in prison despite of experts claiming that branding them as criminals and forcing them to socialise with older, more experienced criminals would only make them worse.
We are still a long way from the death penalty though, Thank God.
BTW. My best argument against the death penalty is that it would degrade ourselves to the criminal's level. We don't kill people, because we are better than that!