Friday, March 12, 2010

UK: We're Tough On Crime...

...but not so tough on criminals.

As a result of a deliberate don't jail burglars unless they hurt someone policy, burglary is up in UK.

Imagine that.
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6 comments:

wally said...

"Imagine that" is right! How could burglaries have risen because of a recommendation that was just made two days ago?

3/13/2010 09:08:00 PM
Bob said...

@wally: oops, didn't see that. Thanks for pointing it out. You should be happy, though; they're following your theory that fewer criminals in prison = lower crime rate.

3/14/2010 05:36:00 AM
wally said...

Now, now. My point, way back when, was that statistics seemed to show that more criminals in prison ≠ lower crime rate. There's a difference. I don't know what the solution is. But it appears that you don't either.

3/14/2010 04:53:00 PM
Bob said...

@wally: well, I'm willing to test it empirically. How about we arrange that all the people arrested in my neighborhood for crimes be jailed for a year, and all the people arrested for crimes in your neighborhood be let off with a scolding, and see which of the two of us are happier with the situation at the end of a year?

3/14/2010 07:30:00 PM
wally said...

Bob,
I know you're joking, but the depressing this is, there are people on your side of the fence for whom this would be considered a legitimate argument.

3/14/2010 09:48:00 PM
wally said...

This article, from Corrections Today, reports on and analyzes recent studies on incarceration rates vs. crime rates:

http://bit.ly/coRsOZ

The article finds some truth on both sides of the argument, a gray-area attitude that you evidently despise. But I hope you look it over nevertheless. The main thing I took away from it is that when incarceration levels are low in a community, increasing them reduces the rate of subsequent crime. But when they're high, this benefit gradually disappears--the law of diminishing returns. Unfortunately, in the US today, the incarceration rate is quite high. And incredibly expensive. If we continue to refuse to look candidly and without prejudice at the facts, then things will only get worse.

Please note, yet again, that I'm not advocating letting criminals off with a scolding. I don't know what the answer is. I do know that we'll never find it if we don't remove our blinders.

3/15/2010 10:42:00 AM

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