Increased Incarceration Does Not Reduce Violent Crime (From Violence: Opposing Viewpoints, P 279-287, 1996, David Bender, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-159343)

• NCJ Number: 159379
• Author(s): J Austin; J Irwin
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 9 pages
• Sale Source: Greenhaven Press
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Opposing Viewpoints Series

Annotation

The authors dispute the contention that increased incarceration of criminals reduces violent crime and argue instead that imprisonment actually increases violent crime.

Abstract

The government view is that the single most effective strategy for reducing crime involves incarceration. Two methods are used to measure crime rates, the Census Bureau's annual survey to determine how many households have been victimized and Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) which include crimes reported to the police and tabulated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. To support the view that increased incarceration reduces crime, U.S. Department of Justice officials have compared UCR violent crime rates with imprisonment rates. A more careful examination of available information on incarceration and crime, however, suggests that significant increases in the use of incarceration have not had a major impact on crime rates. In particular, crime rates have not declined despite massive increases in prison and jail populations. Deterrence and punishment are effective only when the act of punishment actually worsens an individual's lifestyle; for many Americans, imprisonment poses no such threat. 19 references and 1 figure