CJ 100 Lecture 65: Can Imprisoning More Criminals Cut Crime
Can Imprisoning More Criminals Cut Crime?
Policy analysts disagree about whether incarceration is an effective way to reduce crime
rates.
Imprisoning more criminals is a good way to prevent crime
Supporters of incarceration make these arguments:
1. Increasing incarceration rates since 1980 correlate with decreasing crime rates
and have caused crime rates to decline.
2. The costs of crimes that are prevented through incarceration exceed the costs of
building and operating prisons.
3. Prisons reduce crime through incapacitation and deterrence.
4. The public favors get tough solutions to the crime problem.‐
Imprisoning more criminals is not a good way to prevent crime
Critics counter with these arguments.
1. The drop in the crime rate is more a function of small numbers of young males in
the 15 to 24 year old age group than a function of the large number of criminals ‐ ‐ ‐
in jails and prisons.
2. More imprisonment imposes opportunity costs (in other words, a tax dollar
spent on imprisonment is a tax dollar not spent on education, parks, libraries,
recreation centers, highways, universities, and policing) that exceed the costs of
crimes prevented by imprisonment.
3. It is appropriate to remove violent offenders from society, but the injudicious use
of prison to lock up so many nonviolent offenders (including those convicted of
drug possession) undermines family structure by removing a large portion of the
males from racial minority communities.
4. The argument that America will be safer if we lock up more criminals ignores
research showing that incarceration isn't the most effective way to lower
recidivism rates for all offenders. A 1994 Rand study found that community‐
based drug treatment of cocaine dealers is 15 times more effective than prison in
reducing crime by this type of criminal.
5. The deterrent effect of imprisonment is overrated. Incarceration fails to deter
violent crime because most violent crime is committed impulsively, in the heat of
passion or under the influence of drugs. Then, too, the overuse of prison for
many small time drug offenders strips imprisonment of its capacity to scare ‐
people into good behavior.
6. Studies indicate the public supports alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent,
low risk offenders. Moreover, a 1995 survey reports that a majority of Americans ‐
think drug use can be better handled through prevention and treatment than
incarceration.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Policy analysts disagree about whether incarceration is an effective way to reduce crime rates. Imprisoning more criminals is a good way to prevent crime. Imprisoning more criminals is not a good way to prevent crime. A 1994 rand study found that community based drug treatment of cocaine dealers is 15 times more effective than prison in reducing crime by this type of criminal: the deterrent effect of imprisonment is overrated. Incarceration fails to deter violent crime because most violent crime is committed impulsively, in the heat of passion or under the influence of drugs. Then, too, the overuse of prison for many small time drug offenders strips imprisonment of its capacity to scare people into good behavior: studies indicate the public supports alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent, low risk offenders. Moreover, a 1995 survey reports that a majority of americans think drug use can be better handled through prevention and treatment than incarceration.
