Eye For Eye

The problem with "an eye for an eye" morality is that you never get your eye back.  You poke out the other guy's eye to punish, but that does not get your eye back.  We do that today: retribution for a wrong done to us.  Someone steals your $100.  You prosecute and the thief goes to jail.  The thief is punished but you still don't get your $100 back.  What if the thief was offered the chance to go to work for pay, that would reimburse you, or go to work for you and get no pay, up through the $100 that was taken from you?  On a larger scale, what if someone embezzled money or lied to swindle you, maybe they are quite smart and fear jail?  Would it not work better to have them put their smarts into making your money back, rather than sit in jail "punished" while you and your friends are out a lot of money?  This could be a form of forgiving someone but not letting them off the hook.  Maybe we are too much into punishing others.  Does that make us feel better than having what is lost restored?