Apply Deterrence Principles Differently to Make it Work

Mark Kleiman, a public policy professor from UCLA,

believes that the answer to lowering crime by applying

utilitarian principles works if the focus is on surer

punishment, not severer punishment. Reading this

article which discusses Keiman's newest book and

explains how his theory works leaves one wondering,

if indeed it just might not be an effective answer.

Kleiman says the current focus is wrong. He

believes that we have been relying on the severity

of punishment, but most criminals see the chance

of getting caught as low.

"The evidence suggests that when hardened

criminals are reasonably sure that they will be

caught and punished swiftly, even mild sanctions

deter them. But not even the prospect of severe

punishment is effective if offenders think they

can get away with their crimes." Grits for Breakfast.

Kleiman suggests that police announce that they

will be putting emphasis on eliminating crime in a

specific geographical location. "It is an ingenious idea

that borrows from game theory and the economics

of signaling behavior..

Several notable law enforcement successes, like a

crackdown on gang homicide in Boston and strategic

drug market disruptions in High Point, N.C., and

Hempstead, N.Y., provide further testimony

to the effectiveness of focused deterrence.

Scott Henson who writes Grits for Breakfast does

not think that Kleiman's theory will work. You decide

if you agree with Kleiman or Henson.

Will lowering the age to buy liquor lessen binge drinking?

This is only one of many suggestions put forth in an article

that asked What is the Age of Responsibility. "Adult crime, adult

time" became a mantra some years back and resulted in more

juveniles being transferred from juvenile court jurisdiction into

the adult criminal justice system.

According to a statement from the federal Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, youths who had previously been tried

as adults are 34 percent more likely to commit a crime again

than those who went through the juvenile justice system. Not

only do young offenders treated as adults reoffend sooner and

more frequently, they’re also more likely to go on to commit

violent crimes, according to this statement.

Is it time to revisit the general concept of the age of

responsibility and attempt to utilize scientific knowledge

as part of the determination? Is society willing to

reconsider some past policies that resulted in correction

budgets too high for states, cities, and counties to deal

with when revenues are lower?

Do you agree with the 135 presidents of various universities

who posit that if the age to buy liquor were lower, binge

drinking might have less of an appeal since drinking would

no longer be a big deal?

Crime and its Relationship to Candy

A recent study that was reported in US News and World Report

looked into the correlation between eating candy and committing

violent criminal acts. Yes, they did find a correlation, but one of the

possible reasons is intriguing: giving children candy and chocolate

often and upon request results in the child's not learning to

delay gratification. It then says this also increases impulsivity

which in turn is linked to delinquency.

Assessments Needed in Attempt to Lessen Violence

Chicago and most metropolitan areas as well as smaller communities are

putting resources and money into a wide variety of programs aimed

at lowering juvenile violence.

Researchers believe that juvenile violence has been shown to be a

public health issue and should be treated as such: look for causes

and most importantly assess everything that is tried. There is an

informative article in the Chicago Tribune that discusses not only

what is already known about brain development but why

intervention is needed and when it should be done.

Reported Rapes cases hit 20 year low

An article from USA Today discusses the report showing that reported rapes

have declined. A number of reasons are cited as possible causes from

prosecution using DNA and not replying on victim testimony to more

assistance for victims. If, as the report states, a large number of rapes

are committed by serial rapists then putting more of them in prison

after a first offense will be helpful. But there really is no showing so

far to pinpoint the correlation between reported rapes and any other

factor that satisfactorily explains why there is a drop.

Two sites that should prove helpful

Because we all run into this "where did I see that" dilemma at one

time or another, these sites are of enormous help (limited to books

but not articles). The information that follows was a response to

a blog entry for teachers of higher education

(http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/05/5-sites-your-undergrads-need-to-know/):

Have you ever tried to remember where you saw a specific quote? To get around this problem, go to Google Books (http://books.google.com) or Amazon’s Search Inside! (http://www.amazon.com/Search-Inside-Book-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=10197021). With either of them, there’s a decent chance that the novel will be fully searchable. And if the book isn’t on one of the sites, I’ve found that that doesn’t mean it won’t be on the other.

Defense Attorneys Against Drug Courts

The full article was in a St. Petersburg, Florida newspaper.

It refers to a two-year study done by the defense lawyers

association and concludes that drug courts should not be

used in the criminal justice system.

Since other studies have shown positive results for drug

courts, this introduces another side of the use of these

courts.