The problem is about penal legislation more than about punishment methods. The French are very similar to the Russians. There are also mafias in France, there is a high level of alcohol consumption, there are millions of immigrants, and the French are passionate people...Anyway there are just 100 immates per 100,000 popoulation in France, SIX times less than in Russia (600). Russians are NOT more violent than the French. Part of the difference is a consequence of the different level of economic development, so a fair number of immates per 100,000 population in Russian prisions coould be TWO or three times higher than in France, but not SIX times higher! And the level of criminality in France is lower than in Russia. So the difference must be legislative and thousands of people both inside prision and in the Russian society are suffering unnecessarily. Apart from being an impressive cost to the Government. In fact, the level of immates in Germany is so low (80 per 100,0000, SEVEN times lower than Russia´s) that Germany is renting prisions to neighboring states in the European Union. America has developed interesting punishment methods but its penal legislation is the worse in the World.