How to drop the crime rate

[jpk1313]

I had this idea a while ago. To drop the crime rate would be easy if we just educated people. It has been said that the church is a hospital and its monastaries are the intensive care ward. The modern prisions were developed by quakers in the 1800’s who modeled them on trappist monastaries. people are sitting in cells why not give them university quality education to the prisoners on ethics, philosophy, theology (Christian, muslim, jewish whatever the prefer) and give the a day off their sentence for every well writen essay. Also We should start teaching in public schools ethics, not nessasarily morals of a religous nature but ethics one would learn in a intro course one would learn in a university philosophy class. If we started doing this I belive there would be less hard drug use becuse people would be trained to think things through and think twice before doing something illegal. we could clean up our world to a great degree in a couple of generations.

 

[Lutheranteach]

Poverty+ignorance(-education) X lack of opportunity=crime

 

[royal_archer]

I had this idea a while ago. To drop the crime rate would be easy if we just educated people. It has been said that the church is a hospital and its monastaries are the intensive care ward. The modern prisions were developed by quakers in the 1800’s who modeled them on trappist monastaries. people are sitting in cells why not give them university quality education to the prisoners on ethics, philosophy, theology (Christian, muslim, jewish whatever the prefer) and give the a day off their sentence for every well writen essay. Also We should start teaching in public schools ethics, not nessasarily morals of a religous nature but ethics one would learn in a intro course one would learn in a university philosophy class. If we started doing this I belive there would be less hard drug use becuse people would be trained to think things through and think twice before doing something illegal. we could clean up our world to a great degree in a couple of generations.

I don’t think pumping a possitive message into the cells would hurt. (The ACLU would have a cow but that is just a fringe bennefit.) However you can not assume that exposure to knowledge alone makes people more educated or will increase their ability to make good decisions. The people must have a basic aptitude.

As for ethics training it is a good idea but unfortunately always seems to degrade from a philosophy to a set of rules. People start thinking that if they can’t get in trouble it is ethical instead of accepting that there are a set of un enforcable rules that must also be followed.

 

[tjm190]

Not a bad idea, although I believe trade skills would be a better call than philosophy or ethics.

 

[Aboveallbereal]

Crime is one of those areas where prevention is better tan cure. We need to recognise that however well intentioned it may or may not be welfare is working ot create a dependent and demoralised underclass. This is the poolfrom which the vast majority of prisoners come. To be blunt we should stop subsidising illegitimate reproduction and focus on the family. I could find euphemisms if required but as I say I’m being to the point.

We also need to get in at the first and second ofences. By the time they are in proson most inmates are hardened to crime. We need to spend resources on the first offenders.

 

[royal_archer]

Crime is one of those areas where prevention is better tan cure. We need to recognise that however well intentioned it may or may not be welfare is working ot create a dependent and demoralised underclass. This is the poolfrom which the vast majority of prisoners come. To be blunt we should stop subsidising illegitimate reproduction and focus on the family. I could find euphemisms if required but as I say I’m being to the point.

We also need to get in at the first and second ofences. By the time they are in proson most inmates are hardened to crime. We need to spend resources on the first offenders.

We also need to recognize welfare as the gateway to more direct forms of stealing and more violent crime. Our welfare society is raising kids who think they should just get what they want with out earning it. Receiving welfare is taking from others against their will. From their it is a short step to dircect theivery and from their a short step to armed robbery. We need to break up the culture of takers and get more people use to earning an honnest living.

 

[peary1]

I had this idea a while ago. To drop the crime rate would be easy if we just educated people. It has been said that the church is a hospital and its monastaries are the intensive care ward. The modern prisions were developed by quakers in the 1800’s who modeled them on trappist monastaries. people are sitting in cells why not give them university quality education to the prisoners on ethics, philosophy, theology (Christian, muslim, jewish whatever the prefer) and give the a day off their sentence for every well writen essay. Also We should start teaching in public schools ethics, not nessasarily morals of a religous nature but ethics one would learn in a intro course one would learn in a university philosophy class. If we started doing this I belive there would be less hard drug use becuse people would be trained to think things through and think twice before doing something illegal. we could clean up our world to a great degree in a couple of generations.

First, get them to learn how to READ. Worry about offering them courses on ethics, philosophy, theology later…WAY much later.

 

[royal_archer]

First, get them to learn how to READ. Worry about offering them courses on ethics, philosophy, theology later…WAY much later.

Interesting theory: If someone does not have a highschool diploma and winds up in jail should they be let out of jail prior to completing highschool?

 

[Viki63]

The public schools try to do this.
The society encourages irresponsibility and unethical behavior. Kids whose parents are on drugs or who kick them out on the streets or molest them have more on their minds than education, they are focused on survival.
Education is a good thing and has helped many people rise above their circumstances. But it was not my college education that got me off welfare, it was the demand that I find a job if I was going to survive and keep my kids.
Have to agree with those who say that welfare does a lot to maintain the status quo.
I also have to point out that many prisoners have access to religious programs and services provided by the church and also other Christian organizations.

 

[jmcrae]

Actually, I agree that education is important. People need to know why the rules are there, which means they need to understand what rules are - what their function is. If they don’t understand what the rules are there for, they won’t follow them when they see an advantage to themselves for not following them.

When I was a kid, they used to have training programs for kids on traffic safety that were very graphic about what happens when you break the traffic laws. They didn’t just tell - they showed. One demonstration was on seat belts. They put eggs into toy cars and put seat belts on some of the eggs, and no seat belts on others. The eggs that were wearing seat belts arrived at the bottom of the ramp intact - those that didn’t, bounced out of the toy cars and smashed on the pavement. I don’t think I’ve ever forgotten to put my seat belt on, since seeing that.

But I don’t think anyone is deterred by things like fines and jail sentences - they need to know what the actual consequences of what they do are. For example, you steal from someone, here’s what actually happens to that person - here’s what happens to the whole community. (Most people who steal don’t think they’re actually hurting anyone. They need to be shown that the people they steal from now don’t feel secure in their own homes, and stop letting their children play outside, when they’ve experienced a robbery. You aren’t just stealing a few trinkets - you’re stealing a kid’s childhood.)

 

[Highwayhound]

Interesting theory: If someone does not have a highschool diploma and winds up in jail should they be let out of jail prior to completing highschool?

This is an interesting idea.

Would this be for any crime?

Many states have some form of traffic school. I know Nevada does because during a recent visit a cousin got a ticket and he was all over taking traffic school as an option as opposed to the points going on his driving record.

I think this idea has merit.

 

[royal_archer]

This is an interesting idea.

Would this be for any crime?

Many states have some form of traffic school. I know Nevada does because during a recent visit a cousin got a ticket and he was all over taking traffic school as an option as opposed to the points going on his driving record.

I think this idea has merit.

Obviously not for jay walking or some other one time crime but in any case where the judge feels the person is on their way to becoming a repeat offender or does not have a nurturing home life and they are beyond what couild be addressed by foster care.

 

[Hosh]

I agree but I would like some focus on the prison system. Rather then time based sentencing which does little to change a person, why not have some emphasis on scholarship based sentencing. Perhaps some real life skills could benefit society more than just a GED and intimate knowledge of how to make a license plate.