Can The Problem Of Crime Be Solved?

No matter where you live in the world, every day seems to bring in another crop of lurid crimes. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask: Are present deterrents -stiff penalties, prison terms, and so on-working? Does prison reform criminals? More important, is society addressing the root cause of the crime? Concerning present deterrents, Dr. Stanton E. Samenow writes: " After a taste of prison, [the criminal] may become shrewder and more cautious, but he continues his exploitative way of life and commits crimes. Recidivism [relapse into criminal behavior] statistics indicate only whether he has been careless enough to be caught [again]." In effect, then, prisons often become finishing schools for criminals, inadvertently helping them to hone their antisocial skills. -

What is more, many crimes go unpunished, leading felons to conclude that crime does pay. This belief can make them bolder and more set in their ways. A wise ruler once wrote: "Because sentence against a bad work has not been executed speedily, that is why the heart of the sons of men has become fully set in them to do bad." -Ecclesiastes 8:11

Next time: Criminals By Necessity Or Choice?

Awake! 2008