If Punishment Works, Why Does Crime Still Exist?

If people know the consequences of crime, why do they still commit crimes ? This makes me ask, does punishment truly work? Considering the fact that many people know the punishment that comes with committing these crimes and still commit these crimes daily.

If these punishments have effects, then the rates of crime is meant to reduce the fear of consequences of prison, death sentence and many other consequences. The rate of people committing crimes keeps increasing daily because people keep breaking the law.

I still believe punishment still works and there are few people who are still scared of punishment that comes with committing a crime.
There are people who do not steal, assault or even have a thought of committing murder and that's because they have a conscience and fear punishments.

But then, if people know the punishment that comes with a crime, why do they still commit the crime?
Why is crime still a major issue in our society today?

It might seem like punishment doesn't work, but it does work to an extent. If there weren't punishments for crime in our society , society would be more dangerous and threatening to us.
A society without punishment for crime will only increase the rate of crime in society and cause more chaos in the society. The existence of these punishments and laws is the reason everyone in the world isn't committing crimes. There are people who fear the consequences of crimes.

The fear of legal consequences and legal actions has helped in controlling crime.
So, yes, punishment still works in our society, it creates a restraint and fear of committing crimes.

Punishment cannot totally stop crime. Most of the time, people commit crimes and go unpunished too.
Many criminals commit crimes without the fear or consciousness of being caught. Many of them aren't even caught. To them, punishment isn't a threat, because they can't be caught to start with.
Punishment cannot stop people from committing crimes in our society, it only makes them careful and stay undetectable and careful while committing crimes.

Also, most crimes committed come from anger, rage and pain. They are mostly unplanned for and happen so fast. This is why crime can stop. The truth is people commit these crimes without thinking of the consequences of their offense. They only reacted and acted based on their intense/uncontrolled emotions and feelings. In circumstances like anger, rage, jealousy and many other emotional distress, the fear of punishment becomes less effective.

Apart from intense emotional , many other factors like difficult life situations and hardship make people commit crimes.
When people face poverty, negative addiction and other painful circumstances in life, they are being pushed to commit crimes, not because they don't know the punishment, but because they need to survive or aren't even scared or frightened about punishment due to their circumstances.

Punishment alone can't solve the problems of crime in our society.
Human behavior is greatly influenced by their emotions, circumstances, opportunities, and choices. Addressing the root cause of a crime is necessary, because crimes are being influenced by many circumstances, not trying to justify crime, but then punishment isn't the only solution.

Apart from harsh punishment, there should be other ways to address crimes, like rehabilitation of some offenders, getting to the root cause and offering a solution. There are many other ways to address crimes, rather than punishment, getting to the root cause of a problem and rendering a solution when necessary.Punishment alone cannot eliminate every motive that drives human beings to commit crime in our society.