If not the economy, then what is the cause?

It has been agreed among criminologists that there was a connection between crime and the economy.

But if one accepts that as true, how can you explain that violent crime has fallen in the major cities?

Looking at data from years past, summer also brought an upsurge in crime.

Reading the article I couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't the economy, albeit from a different perspective.

With a large percentage of people unemployed, you obviously have more folks at home which means more eyes, intentionally or not, keeping a look-out. Add in the fact that those who are unemployed have fewer valuable possession. There has been a reported rise in domestic violence and the tie-in to the economy continues to be upheld in this category of violent crime.

In suburban Washington, DC and the district itself, community policing seems to be paying off since tips have risen noticeably. Technology and JIT (just in time) information also gets credit for police's being able to quickly arrive at a crime scene and use databases to locate those in the area who are on parole for example.

Although most major cities are reporting drops in violent crime, Dallas and Baltimore have seen an upswing.

Whatever the reason for the drop in D.C. and other areas, let's hope it continues. It is troublesome to consider that many cities are cutting police budgets and not filling all openings which could result in less community police and less technology use and more crime.

10-year olds on sex offender list

Read this unbelievable story about a rarely known aspect of the law that allows the publication of pictures and information about sex offenders as young as 10. Obviously the theory of labeling was overlooked as well as any chance of rehabilitating these youngsters. This will plague them for the rest of their lives.

A Dallas newspaper article revealed the practice and that Texas policy allows judges to place sex offenders as young as 10 on the sexual offender registry list. There are 1,0004 names of youngsters who are under the age of 14.

The paper found a total of 4000 under age 18 sex offenders on the list. The under 14 group is 1/4th of the total.

Immediate questions arise regarding whether there is a list of the types of offenses including the age of the offender/victim that the judge must first consult. Nor do we know if this is the action of one court or many courts throughout the state.

Many questions and few answers. Scary part is that the legislature will not meet for another two years to require changes to the policy.

Budget cuts destroy promises and rehabilitation

South Carolina's juvenile delinquency facilities were so bad that the federal government stepped in to oversee them. Today the changes are dramatic and rehabilitation is integrated and working. OR WAS.

Strapped budgets are causing many states to look at corrections for a place to pinch pennies, often with tragic consequences. But the proposals in South Carolina are draconian and will amount to a loss of most of the gains made in the past two-three decades.

The article also has a short video that should not be missed.

The Texas TYC was reorganized by the Texas Legislature this session because of problems but even with the cuts, it appears that the rehabilitation and re-entry concepts will still be important.

2 Plus 2 Does not Add up to 4

Illinois, like many other states, is facing a major budget shortfall. Again like many other states,
it is considering paroling many more offenders to cut the correction budget operating expenses.

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the Governor is considering putting 11,000 of his 45,500 prisoners on parole. These are all relatively low-level offenders who are nearing the end of their sentences. So superficially, at least, this does not seem to be such a bad idea unless you are one of the 1,000 prison workers who would lose a job.

BUT Illinois only has 400 parole officers and this would increase the load of each by nearly 28 new cases. If the prisoners are scattered equally throughout the state and not, as is more likely, Chicago residents then it would add the aforementioned 28 new cases. But realistically some offices will have nearly 90 new cases because of the true residences of these newly paroled.

Parole and probation officers are currently suffering burn-out as well as frustration because they do not have the needed time to do the required paperwork and follow the treatment and related needs of the offenders they currently have. Adding this many more cases is only going to make a bad situation worse.

In addition unemployment of non-offender workers is very high in Illinois; without employment and a way to cover their living expenses and pay parole offender daily costs, this appears to have a likely result of high recidivism. While it would make the actual dollars saved a smaller amount, including the addition of some parole officers to deal with the new influx should be a necessary part of this budgetary scenario.

A Unique Program for Girls at Risk of Teenage Pregnancy

The article is headlined "A Dollar a Day not to Get Pregnant.

A private group based at the University of North Carolina targets teens who are at risk of getting pregnant (siblings or mother were pregnant before they were 18 and dropped out of school). The money is put into a college fund and if the girls complete three objectives: not get pregnant, finish high school, and enroll in college. The money is in a fund to help defray costs of college.

About half of the girls who start the program complete it and go on to get higher education. In addition to the monetary incentive, there is also mentoring and programs about many things from birth control to getting into college. Even those who do not complete the program, for a variety of reasons, meet the objectives: only 5 percent of former enrollees get pregnant or drop out of high school.

Considering the high cost to society when a teen becomes pregnant, it is interesting that the concept has not spread. Single parent households, especially with uneducated teen-age mothers, require assistance with basic needs, such as food. In addition the juvenile delinquency rate is higher in these households.

Probably the most important factor is the individual mentoring and the lessons taught about goal setting and the value of higher education.

It is well worth thinking about intervention that helps girls to stay in school and boys to see that education is not for nerds alone.

Computers doing parolee risk assessment

Technology is taking another leap forward in community corrections. Trying to keep the public safe while still allowing the early release of some inmates has been a modified form of Russian roulette to some degree. Enter the computer.

A statistician developed a program that is said to enable the ability to take information about a person who is being considered for probation and determine if he/she is likely to to rob, assault, or commit a homicide while on probation.

You may be surprised to learn that race is a non-factor. Read the article to learn the pros and cons of this new system.

The unanswered question is what to do about someone who is shown to be extremely likely to commit a homicide or assault but legally must be paroled. Can a law be passed that is computer dependent?

Would the computer be any more or less likely to predict than a psychologist or psychiatrist who must determine if an individual should be released from a mental facility?

This is the link to the article which may not be available for more than a day or two.

The information may well surprise you as it did me.

Supreme Court Cases for the 2008-2009 Term

There were a number of Supreme Court cases that involved criminal justice
either directly or indirectly. You can read the summary of the decisions here

Here are some topics of the decisions:

strip searches in school

identity theft

police interrogation

reverse discrimination (involved firemen but similar issue in police case in United States)

DNA testing

age discrimination

Judicial ethics

Request for Attorney

Qualified Immunity

Warrantless search

Domestic Violence Firearms

Retaliation

Evidence