NCJ Number
54288
Journal
AFL-CIO AMERICAN FEDERATIONIST Volume: 85 Issue: 11 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1978) Pages: 9-14
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
STUDIES SHOW A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRIME AND UNEMPLOYMENT, PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNG, BLACK, URBAN MALES, AND PROGRAMS DEALING WITH UNEMPLOYMENT AS A CAUSE OF CRIME ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
STUDIES SHOWING THE DESTRUCTIVE ASPECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT, PARTICULARLY AS IT STIMULATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINAL SURVIVAL PATTERNS, ARE DISCUSSED. INCREASES IN PRISON POPULATION, HOMICIDES, AND PROPERTY CRIMES CORRELATE WITH THE RISE AND FALL OF PERIODS OF HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT. AGE AND RACE ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO BOTH CRIME AND UNEMPLOYMENT. YOUNG, BLACK MALES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY REPRESENTED IN THE OFFENDER POPULATION. THIS IS ALSO THE GROUP DISPROPORTIONATELY REPRESENTED IN THE RANKS OF THE UNEMPLOYED. INCREASING THE COSTS OF CRIME THROUGH HARSHER SENTENCES IS FUTILE IN THE FACE OF ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION. THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR REDUCING CRIME, PARTICULARLY AMONG URBAN, BLACK YOUTH, IS TO PROVIDE VIABLE LEGITIMATE SURVIVAL ALTERNATIVES TO CRIME, WHICH ESSENTIALLY REQUIRES PROVIDING JOBS AT A LIVING WAGE. A PROGRAM INSTITUTED BY THE AFL-CIO HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE PLACES EX-OFFENDERS IN JOBS WITH COMPANIES HAVING UNIONS, THUS GUARANTEEING JOB SECURITY AND RELATIVELY HIGH WAGES. THE PROGRAM HAS REPRESENTATIVES IN MORE THAN 50 CITIES, WHO WORK WITH EMPLOYERS TO DEVELOP JOBS FOR OFFENDERS. THIS INCLUDES ELIMINATING EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES THAT BAR THE HIRING OF EX-OFFENDERS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROGRAM COUNSELS EX-OFFENDERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYMENT PLANS. THE NATIONAL SUPPORTED WORK DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ALSO ATTACKS CRIME BY DEALING WITH UNEMPLOYMENT. IN THIS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT, JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE FORD FOUNDATION, THE HARDCORE UNEMPLOYED ARE PLACED IN TEMPORARY JOBS THAT MAINTAIN A CONTROLLED LOW-STRESS ENVIRONMENT UNTIL SUCH TIME AS PARTICIPANTS ARE DEEMED READY TO ENTER THE REGULAR WORK FORCE. THUS FAR, THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE RECIDIVISM RATE FOR EX-OFFENDERS BY APPROXIMATELY 25 PERCENT.