The New York Times website has an interesting article examining some new and novel approaches to law enforcement, criminal punishment and community outreach. With states facing increasingly tight budgets, the expanding prison population has become a serious issue in the search to trim expenses. Far too often the answer in these situations is to cut programs and services in the jails and prisons themselves, creating deplorable conditions for inmates and opening states and municipalities to charges of constitutional violations.
As an alternative to dubious cost-saving measures in corrections facilities, some criminal justice scholars have begun to assess current punishment and deterrent schemes in hopes of developing more effective methods of keeping people out of the facilities all together. The Times article looks at several projects formed by scholars and judges designed to increase consistency, certainty and fairness in the criminal justice system.
In one study, researchers brought together parties on both sides of the system; the police, lawbreakers and potential lawbreakers, and members of the community. At these meetings, individuals who might find themselves afoul of the law were informed that infractions would result in swift and certain punishment. By removing the often arbitrary and capricious nature common to the criminal justice system, officials were able to foster a perception of fairness in the minds of the potential lawbreakers. That perception of fairness and certainty appears to have led to reduced crime rates.
Although these studies and pilot programs have been limited to specific cities and neighborhoods, the results are promising. Furthermore, the approach advocated by these programs "should appeal to liberals (it doesn’t rely on draconian prison sentences) and to conservatives (it stresses individual choice and moral accountability)." Hopefully the appeal is powerful enough to bring about the changes to our criminal justice system that are so desperately needed.
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