How was it working? Show me an unbiased study that shows where incarceration reduces crime. I have no problem finding those that show the exact opposite. I think you might want to do a little more resurch on the topic before guessing wildly at things.
That's the problem with folks like you, you are brainwashed to believe the exact opposite of what's true.
Link
"Despite its widespread use, research shows that the effect of incarceration as a deterrent to crime is minimal at best, and has been diminishing for several years. Indeed, increased rates of incarceration have no demonstrated effect on violent crime and in some instances may increase crime.