OK, I'm about to give a sensible answer. I may very well need a lie down after this.
Firstly, sorry about the spelling jibe. Not something I normally do (except when someone makes a howler while snottily correcting someone else, I reckon that's fair game). I must admit I do find it annoying when someone else does it, so I apologise.
As for dealing with the problem, I always feel that any crime which endangers the lives or health of people should be punished by a proper sentence in a proper prison (not a cushy, open one). Bearing in mind the overcrowding problem, many people are in jail for relatively small, purely monetary crimes where no-one has been threatened (please note I am certainly NOT talking about things like armed robbery). There should be more financial and fewer custodial punishments for these people, thus freeing up jail space for those who would happily hurt others.