Thursday, January 3, 2008
Jails and Prisons - The Myth of Fear
The publics attitude toward crime and criminals plays a major role in the development of criminal justice policy and has lead to many of the laws that are causing the prison's and jails to burst at the seams today. There is a market for fear. Fear of crime and criminals has led to mandatory minimum sentencing, three strikes laws, and an increase in the number of police officers roaming the streets. Most of the people in prison and jail are there for crimes that lack any of the elements that the public believes are serious or that they associate with dangerous criminals. In 1995, when California was at the height of its fear of violent criminals, only 40 percent of California's prison population was incarcerated for a violent offense as opposed to 60 percent incarcerated for nonviolent offenses, which involve property and drug-related offenses. The numbers rarely match the media's portrayal and the publics perception of violent crime.
There are many myths about crime that pervade society and undoubtedly help to shape criminal justice policy that must be revealed and absorbed if we are ever to change things for the better.
Paul Jesilow and Harold E. Pepinsky have outlined ten different crime myths:
1) Crime is increasing,
2) Most crime is committed by the poor,
3) Some groups are more law abiding than others,
4) White-collar crime is nonviolent,
5) Regulatory agencies prevent white-collar crime,
6) Rich and poor are equal before the law,
7) Drug use can be ended by policy efforts,
8) Community corrections is a viable alternative,
9) The punishment can fit the crime,
10) Laws make people behave.
Of the ten myths identified the two myths that are among the most pertinent to this discussion are: Drug use can be ended by police efforts, and crime is increasing.
There are many myths about crime that pervade society and undoubtedly help to shape criminal justice policy that must be revealed and absorbed if we are ever to change things for the better.
Paul Jesilow and Harold E. Pepinsky have outlined ten different crime myths:
1) Crime is increasing,
2) Most crime is committed by the poor,
3) Some groups are more law abiding than others,
4) White-collar crime is nonviolent,
5) Regulatory agencies prevent white-collar crime,
6) Rich and poor are equal before the law,
7) Drug use can be ended by policy efforts,
8) Community corrections is a viable alternative,
9) The punishment can fit the crime,
10) Laws make people behave.
Of the ten myths identified the two myths that are among the most pertinent to this discussion are: Drug use can be ended by police efforts, and crime is increasing.
Labels: incarceration
