How do we reduce the amount of criminal behavior?
More legislation?
Less Legislation?
More or less education?
something else?
Or is it even possible?
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"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." -Benjamin Franklin What factors correlate with crime? Poverty, childhood neglect or abuse, being victimized, to name a few. We should more thoroughly research these factors and their relationship with crime, and make an effort to eradicate the causes. One specific thing that could be quickly implemented: a more aggressive program for reaching children from the lowest income brackets. Poverty contributes to feelings of powerlessness and frustration and that could be countered with efforts to instill self-respect and responsibility, and opportunities for children exercise their ability to make decisions. Also, tutoring and educational mentoring wouldn't be misplaced. There are some local and federal programs with this specific goal but I think it's not given the priority it deserves. In cases where that fails, rehabilitation should be more important than retribution. Jails should be places that do their best to make sure the inmates won't commit more crimes, in or outside the walls. Education and counseling, not harsher punishment, is the more effective way to make that happen. I don't think this philosophy gets the research or publicity it needs because politicians and other powerful officials are worried about seeming soft on crime. What factors correlate with crime? Yes, this is the key. Everything in the universe is subject to the relationship of cause and effect, including humans. It is apparent that the current society’s model is not effective in addressing problems before they occur. Since the beginning of recorded history, laws have been shown to only address what actions ought to be taken after a crime has been committed. We need a paradigm shift to where society studies and addresses what causes criminal behavior, and then seek ways to adjust or eliminate the things that are doing this. Side: What is causing the criminal behavior
It seems like this is the way lots of people deal with things. Pro-death penalty, pro-life, anti-drug, anti-prostitution, etc.- they're all trying to stop 'bad' things, but not in a way that actually solves anything. Maybe it's just the compartmentalizing format of debates, but it's incredibly rare to see someone who identifies with any of the above positions but is more concerned about dealing with the factors that create the problem than with putting a bandage on the cut. Side: What is causing the criminal behavior
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There's no convincing evidence that the death penalty is an effective deterrent to criminals. Is it the act of hanging itself you think will stop criminals? Side: Hang them
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More severe punishment? If knowledge of the penalty for breaking a law was an actual deterrent, then certainly we would have less crimes being committed, but something tells me that a person doesn’t break the law with idea of getting caught. They break the law with the intention to get away with it, so the risk of punishment is put out of their mind. For good reason, I might add, considering the majority of all infractions goes undiscovered or the guilty party not found. Side: What is causing the criminal behavior
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