The thing is "Society shouldn't have any tolerance for X" is a very powerful statement when directed at any act made out of desperation. Not tolerating the act doesn't discourage others from doing it since they wouldn't be doing it if they weren't desperate in the first place. What they deserve isn't the point, how to make the stop doing crime is.

Despair is the most powerful motivator since it makes you think there's nothing left to lose, whether it stems from withdrawal, hunger, thirst, poverty or something else. Eliminating this is the key, imho. If a society makes it hard for people to reach this level of despair with social safety nets and helps convicted people repair their lives, the crime rates won't disappear, but they will plummet.

But that's just some guy's opinion.