Here's an edited version of a puzzle from the book "Chuck Klosterman four" by Chuck Klosterman.
It is 1933. Somehow you find yourself in a position where you can effortlessly steal Adolf Hitler's wallet. The theft will not effect his rise to power, the nature of WW2, or the Holocaust. There is no important identification in the wallet, but the act will cost Hitler forty dollars and completely ruin his evening. You don't need the money. The odds that you will be caught committing the crime are negligible. Do you do it?
When should you punish someone for a crime they will commit in the future? Discuss.
My idea is that you should punish them if they are the kind of person that before they do a crime, consider whether they could have avoided any past punishments by being the kind of person that doesn't do the crime.
EDIT: Changed my answer.
Doesn't this mean that everyone has to be punished because at some point they might consider this? Also, who doesn't commit crimes? What constitutes a crime is completely subjective. Following through on this would cause a lot of punishment for opposing reasons. You might be punished and consider to precommit to not doing something, but what? Maybe the communist punished you so that you don't support democracy...I really don't get it.