What do you think the "correct" punishment for a burglar should be?

A student in the UK (I think we can infer country based on username, lol) was recently convicted of burglary and homeless. And homeless. The student was homeless, had been for a while, and had no criminal history. For the second degree burglary, they were sentenced to 250 hours of community service, 20 months in prison, and a lengthy probation period. This was their student house, and they were stealing from their house altogether, which already makes the case a bit confusing. These factors were taken into account, and they were more or less sentenced lightly compared to what could have happened.<br><br>Here's the fun part - They were stealing £3,000 worth of electronics to sell to pay for rent and tuition. However, the law requires them to stop going to the university for the 20 months they are in prison, which puts them in a position to be unable to pay back the tuition fees they now owe. Because of this, they may be deported after their prison time is up.<br><br>Now, I'm not saying we should legalize burglary and let people go on with whatever the hell they want. But I have to wonder, does a prison sentence really help them, or does it set them back from being able to afford the stuff they broke the law for in the first place? Does a prison sentence help them, or should they instead just pay back the amount of money they owe? Here in the USA, we have the concept of work release, but it's exceedingly difficult to get in, and not every prison offers it.<br><br>So, what do you think is the fair punishment for a non-violent burglary?