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The relationship between crime rates and poverty
The relationship between crime rates and poverty
The relationship between crime rates and poverty
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Matt Taibbi’s “The Divide” uses extensive research to attempt to contradict the understanding of our nonpartisan justice system. According to Taibbi, while poverty has increased, crime has decreased, and the jail population has increased 600% since 1991 (page xvi). He states while individuals are being prosecuted based on race and financial status. In which Taibbi argues that other offenders are not being prosecuted compared to minority groups.
The United States criminal justice system is diminishing millions of lives every day. Ironically, the amount of inequalities that the criminal justice system portrays goes against the term ‘justice’. There is a 33% chance that a black male will end up in jail in his lifetime, while white males have a 6% chance. There are 4,749 black males incarcerated while there are only 703 white males. Prisons receive revenue of 1.65 billion dollars per year which makes them willing to incarcerate anyone that they can (“Enduring Myth of Black Criminality”).
Americans want to investigate, judge, and punish fairly (Cole & Smith, 2011). Justice is defined as the proper administration of the law; fair and equitable treatment of all individuals under the law (Justice, 2008). As a society, there is a mutual agreement that justice should be done if a crime has been committed. According to Cole and Smith (2011), there are three goals of the criminal justice system: doing justice, controlling crime and preventing crime.
(2007). Class, race, gender, and crime: The social realities of justice in America (2nd ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefiel. Beirne, P., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2006).
One of the theories it speaks of is the Pyrrhic defeat theory. This theory states that the criminal justice system is created to function in a particular fashion in order to create an image of crime where crime is actually seen as the “threat from the poor”.(Reiman, 2010, p.5) “Reimans’s theory suggests that those who have power to change the system benefit from the way it operates: they can go on committing harms and accumulating wealth without punishment, while the country remains focused on street crime and poor minority criminals. ”(Leighton 2010) In order to accomplish this “The system must actually fight crime-or at least some crime-but only enough to keep it from getting out of hand and to keep the struggle to substantially reduce or eliminate crime.
Third, crimes are more effectively prevented by the certainty of punishment—not by the severity of punishment. Jefferson’s proposed bill, the “Bill on Crimes and Punishments,” for a more humanitarian
The authors explore difficult social issues that are most of the time highly misunderstood and possible meaningful solutions to such crimes. The writers also acknowledge that the measures to detect these types of crimes reflect bias reasoning is both complex and highly controversial. In addition, the authors emphasize the fact that many efforts that have been intended to find a solution to this type of injustice, but it has been characterized to having varying degrees of “ineffectual and create collateral problems” (Frederickson and Siljander,
Policies that are made to make people feel safer imprison more minorities and the saddest aspect is that it is considered a success by current politicians. The first feature of the Pyrrhic defeat theory states, “failure to implement policies that stand a good chance of reducing crime and the harm it causes” (Reiman and Leighton 179). Everybody in society wants lower crime, but the methods that are currently used to reduce crime are not deterring criminals, but are harsher imprisonment for lesser crimes. The first rule of the Pyrrhic theory emphasizes the failure of the criminal justice system because it takes the wrong approach of reducing the main cause of crime, poverty. Those in poverty are scapegoats for those with wealth who get little consequences for their own
The Functionalist Perspective seeks to understand the role that religion plays in society, and is premised on how religion satisfies basic needs. One basic need for people is a meaning system. Religion provides a worldview and meaning system for the followers of the faith. But the ideals that a religion encompass alone are often not enough to compel one to follow the religion. Symbols and rituals are vital for helping the believer to take beliefs and make them understood internally in a way that compels them to follow the religion’s rules.
Sentencing and corrections policies should embody fairness, consistency, proportionality and opportunity. Sentences need to be commensurated according to the harm caused; ergo, measuring the effects on the victim, the community, and the rehabilitative needs of the offender. Objectives require balance in selecting correctional options that meet individual offender needs to contribute to crime reduction and prevent recidivism. Policies that affect long-term consequences of criminal convictions, including housing and employment opportunities require careful examination. Additionally sentencing and corrections policies that could adversely or disproportionately affect citizens based on race, income, gender or geography need to be taken into consideration.
The first aspect relates to the social control imposed by the upper class upon lower classes and those who do not integrate into society. The textbook classified this as the conflict view; the upper class uses the law as an instrument to maintain their own power while controlling and in the context of this article, confining and expelling those who violate long-held values and societal roles. Judges usually come from the upper class, and their sentences reflect their bias against those unlike them. Consequently, these sentences must be dispensed in a way to create a deterrent effect. While it is easy to ascribe these increased sentences as specific deterrence for offenders, a closer look reveals their true purpose of general deterrence.
The Criminal Justice system is one of the most important vessels within society due to its role in ensuring that society is abiding by its laws and holding those who transgress these laws to account. Despite its crucial role in society, it has also been under some scrutiny in regards to how effective it actually is, which results in arguments that it doesn’t properly fulfil its job as a carrier of justice. A focus on the criminal justice system is a subject of interest because it helps us understand the tension within society between individual rights and freedoms. (Schmalleger, F. and Koppel, T, 1999) Thus, this essay will be arguing that the criminal justice system is indeed broken.
The social issue I have chosen to focus on is the problem of violent crime and the inequalities and disparities in sentencing. This issue is rooted in systemic racial inequalities, which can result in harsher sentences for individuals from marginalized communities who are convicted of violent crimes such as murder. There is a growing body of research that highlights the need for reform within the criminal justice system to address these disparities and ensure that all individuals are treated fairly and justly. The history of racial disparity in the criminal justice system in the U.S. has been longstanding.
history has undeniably proven incarceration of the masses is not the answer to restoring justice in our communities. There is not one program or theory that will resolve all crime or criminal activity at all levels. The definition of crime is fluid as society, itself, defines crime, thus society creates crime. Those in society with the greatest power and status, in the majority of cases tend to be those with the highest incomes, are the most influential in defining and creating crime. Those same individuals are those who represent our political beliefs and agendas.
Safety of our citizens is of utmost importance in creating a robust society. Building sustainable communities that are inclusive, secure and sensitive to needs of the citizens will continue to be of national priority. However, over the years, crime has stymied this endeavour. There must be a commitment to ensuring safety, security and justice for all citizens, which are seen as moral rights and intrinsic to development. Good policing, targeted social interventions and an efficient judicial system are needed to help our nation thrive.
