In some arabian countrys their religion or the manual they use for living, said that a thief will be punish by cutting his right hand, and if he repeat the sin he´ll losed the oter hand, this apllied for killers they pay life for life.
Yes, for thieves the death penalty will be too cruel punishment, it is better to cut off your hand so that there is no longer any desire to steal.
Democratic principles do not contribute to the fight against crime. In the past, in the East there were many thieves. They cut the hands when caught. It stopped the growth of crime. Maybe it's time to return to the old ways?