Aren't you glad you don't live in So. Africa?Germany only locks up 78,000 of its citizens compared to the 2 million the US locks up. (Per capita, they lock up 1 in 1000 while we lock up 1 in 150)
So, no, locking people up is not the solution.
Now, here's the thing with Germany. Lots of gun ownership over there. But what they don't have is gun ownership as a "right". You have to prove you have a need for a gun and you are responsible.
Which is why they had 258 gun murders last year and we had 11,101.
Population of Germany is something like 82 million compared to 316 million.
In 2010 murders and manslaughter in Germany was 2,218.
So they do have their methods to off someone.
Germany and United States Compared by Crime: NationMaster.com