NCJ Number
87220
Date Published
1982
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A congressman from Detroit discusses the relationship between economic conditions and crime and notes the failure of incarceration as a deterrent, while criticizing the Reagan administration's approach to crime control.
Abstract
Crime is primarily the product of community economic decay on a massive scale. Thus, the political and economic system is designed to encourage criminal behavior by leaving jobs and economic opportunity to the vagaries of the marketplace. Congress and several administrations have paid lip service to the concept of full employment, as evidenced in the Employment Act of 1946 and the Humphrey-Hawkins Act of 1978, but have never really taken it seriously. Both economists and criminologists have lost touch with the human context and tend to blame the individual instead of a society that erects insurmountable barriers to decent employment, especially for the young. Imprisonment and prison rehabilitation have not affected recidivism significantly and are often counterproductive to reducing the crime rate. The 1981 Attorney General's Task Force on Violent Crime's recommendations do not address crime's root causes, whereas successful experiments in community-based treatment programs have demonstrated a more constructive approach. Current work on criminal code revision by congressional committees reflects a concern with the economic causes of crime by providing for community-based alternatives to incarceration and eliminating sentencing disparity between white-collar and street crimes. However, the Reagan administration's domestic budget cuts coupled with the recession will increase unemployment and seriously impede progress toward the goals of employment training and full employment. In this environment, professionals must become involved in formulating constructive economic and criminal justice policy that includes early intervention and expanded job opportunities for youths and adults.