Edition No. 14

Root Cause of Crime Discovered:
Criminals!

The violent crime rate dropped again in 1997, for the seventh straight year, to its lowest level since 1973. Why has it continued to decline for the past seven years?

The experts point to several factors as reasons for the decline including:

The sharp increase in the number of violent and repeat criminals sent to prison;

The drop in "crack" cocaine use;

The crime-prone population is aging and is less inclined to commit more crimes; and

More violent juveniles are being treated as adults, indicating a hardening of the publics attitude toward lenient treatment of young criminals.

"The single quickest way to reduce crime is to keep violent and repeat offenders in jail for their full sentences."

The headline in the New York Times said it best:

As Number of Inmates Rises, Crime Rate Falls. That is no surprise to those of us involved in the criminal justice system.

From 1980 to 1992, the states with the largest increases in incarceration rates had the dramatic drop in their crime rates. Those states with the smallest increase in their crime rates continued to suffer higher increases in their crime rates.

The national data as well as the data for each state leads to this conclusion:

Leniency is consistent with increases in crime;

"Getting tough" works to reduce crime rates.

Since the 60's history has proven that when the incarceration rate is up, the crime rate goes down; and when the incarceration rate is down, the crime rate goes up.

The facts are today, that the incarceration of law-breakers is up, and that the crime rate is down.

We must never forget that the fundamental purpose of government is to guarantee the safety and security of its citizens.Prosecutors and police think we have finally discovered the "root cause" of crime...Criminals! The truth is that these individuals choose to commit crimes. They must be held responsible for their acts, and suffer consequences when they violate the law. The Fred Goldman, whose son, Ron, was slain along with Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994, said it well: "The single quickest way to reduce crime is to keep violent and repeat offenders in jail for their full sentences."

Common sense dictates that imprisonment of violent and repeat offenders will reduce the amount of violent crime. When these criminals are on the streets they are preying on our communities. When they are in prison, they are not committing crimes.

Incarceration of violent and repeat offenders, not a bad idea, and it seems to be working.