Conservative Views On Crime

In the present society, individual’s or a state’s view of crime and criminals are generally categorized into either the conservative ideology or the liberal ideology. The conservative theology is based on personal responsibility and the rational choice theory which is to say “No”. It mentions that the root cause of crime is moral poverty rather than material poverty. They believe in giving severe punishment which has its own consequences. On the other hand, the liberal theology says to alter the social influences to help solve crime. It believes in correction rather than punishment. Due to the modernization of the population, it brings in liberal way to sort problems rather than the conventional way. However, the conservative theology has been

In their defense, by sentencing people to severe punishments and jail term, they can instill fear among the general public, thereby reducing crimes. One example of this is the mandatory minimum sentencing policies for drug offenders. In the Article “What Conservatives Are Saying About Criminal Justice Reform & Right on Crime” by Grover Norquist, it mentions that in 2008, taxpayers spent about $5.4 billion on federal prisons which is an astonishing 925% increase since 1982. This is due to the surge of the use of prison sentences for drug crimes and the use of the mandatory minimum sentencing policy which usually begins with ten years. Drug offenders are the largest category of offenders entering federal prisons each year. With the conservative way of thinking, the government gives severe punishments to such offenders rather than focusing on liberal ways of solving the same issue by focusing on rehabilitation programs. It is quite evident that the severe punishment ideology has not been helping reduce such offenders, instead it just piles on the already overcrowded prisons. Thereby, lacking sanitation, failure of health care, spread of diseases, and increase in stress and violence. Hence, worsening the current conditions of the prisoners and the way criminals are

With privatization of prisons, the government reduces its burden, and at the same time, companies seek this opportunity to make profits. According to a new study from the University of Wisconsin, privatized prisons are keeping inmates locked up longer in order to boost profits. Poor people are merely arrested for harmless activities that include sleeping, loitering, and just sitting or lying down in public which influences the meaning of crime itself. Hence, along with longer sentences, criminalization of poverty has also taken place. In the New York City Jail system, 31% of non-felony defendants are held because they can’t pay a $500 bail. Hence, in order to boost the number of inmates to benefit the privatization of prisons, poor people are being targeted which influences the way criminals are being treated. It is unfortunate to see how offenders are being treated with severe punishments and to see how poor people are being targeted for crimes which only helps the prison companies to make profit. Unfortunately privatization of prisons has led to criminalization of poverty. Instead of focusing and investing on rehabilitation programs and home shelters, the government still sticks to the conservatism way of viewing