I’ve read somewhere that the definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior but expecting a different result. I think that perfectly describes where we have been with our efforts to reduce crime over the decades. A new, radically different approach is needed. Criminals are no longer are afraid of going to jail. The system is broke! It’s costing us a ton of money and misery to be both the victims of crime and financially responsible for the court and jail costs of the criminals. I’ve read years ago that we spend an average of a million dollars to execute one prisoner (court costs and appeals, jail time for years or decades, etc.). What follows are some ideas to fix the problem:
1. Three strikes and you’re dead.
It is unbelievable that there are so many criminals with 10-20 crimes or more and they are still released and out on the streets. Does anyone believe these people will ever be re-habilitated? Does anyone think they are afraid of going back to jail? Why must law abiding citizens be afraid of crime and criminals have no fear? That truly is insane. We need to put the fear back into the criminals who commit crime or think of committing crime. Somehow, that fear has been lost. Why should we forever suffer the consequences and expense of crime? ….In the hopes that maybe one out of a hundred criminals will eventually rehabilitate? Even 10 out of 100. After the third serious crime, execute them and figure out a way to stop the endless appeal system available to death penalty criminals. I’m all for putting in more safeguards for avoiding the conviction of the innocent as long as there are effective means of eliminating the career criminals.
2. If you are old enough to commit the crime, you are old enough to suffer the full adult punishment for the crime. Kids kill adults or other kids and by 21 or 18, many are set free. Gangs especially use that loophole (more about gangs next) over and over again to keep their leaders out of jail. If you are old enough to commit a crime, then to have executed it you’ve proven that you are old enough to know what it is you are doing and to know that it is wrong.
3. Declare war on gangs (similar to the war on terror), get the resources needed to do it, plus the laws necessary to make it work, then execute the plan. The plan must include very severe punishments that can be tied to many gang members (I believe this is called ‘conspiracy’). Just as we do with gangster mobs with our racketeering laws that target all mob assets, apply the same principles to gangs. Make it illegal to recruit children under 18 into gangs. Before the smart lawyers try to get around that by challenging the legal definition of a gang, have laws that require any organization for which children under 18 are allowed to get a parental consent form (consider one that is notarized). This is not radical. Every legitimate organization involving children does this. Require liability insurance. Again, legitimate organizations do this. Penalties for not doing this or for forgeries must be severe. Prosecute adults who knowingly give consent to organizations involved in criminal activities. Do not allow gang colors to be worn (some towns have done this with great success).
4. Protect the children.
Do everything reasonable to make then safe from gang pressure or fear that only the gang can love and protect them. Stop putting welfare families in public housing. Give them subsidies for rent across the entire apartment geography of the town or city instead so that the families and especially their children will live in an environment where most people are not on welfare. Let them see another, better way of life as the ‘norm’. Prosecute landlords who discriminate against honest welfare families. Let schools offer free meals for breakfast and lunch plus a going home healthy snack and/or take home meal to all who want it. Hungry children or people are desperate and it isn’t fair to contend with that when you are a child. In the end, it’s a lot cheaper than dealing with crime and/or drop outs. In fact, do not allow a child under 18 to drop out of school. Just making a decision like that is absolute proof that the person is too immature to make the decision. Send the trouble makers to special schools if you must to avoid disrupting the learning of those who want to get an education. Children of parents who do not take care of them (e.g. alcoholics, drug users, criminals, etc.) need to have their parental rights terminated and the children placed in another home permanently. Parents should also have real fear of the consequences if they do not take care of their kids (I’m talking about criminal negligence of children, not people struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table who work or actively seek work if able).
5. Criminal Prosecution and Incarceration
Pleading to a lesser crime or reduced sentence is not a bad idea if it doesn’t become a ‘joke’. Some leeway is needed, but the range should be reasonable and narrowly defined by law (e.g. no trading 5 years for 25 years in jail). Saving court costs and appeals has a monetary value to society. Changing your plea from innocent to guilty can (but not necessarily) have a moral value to the criminal if it is taken seriously. Precautions must be taken at the same time to protect the truly innocent who cop a plea because they do not think their innocence can be proven. Those that are the real experts on that issue need to figure how to do that at reasonable cost. Parole is also not a bad idea for good behavior for some crimes, but it too should be defined by law and be reasonably restrictive. In other words, if you get 30 years, you should not be parolled after three years. At most, a 25 –33% reduction. It should be more than good behavior involved. Education while in prison is a form of rehabilitation and employment. Those who get the best parole deals should not only have good behavior but show that they worked to gain the knowledge and skills to support themselves without crime. Likewise, if they are released and commit crimes again, their punishments need to be more severe for having taken advantage of the parole system without giving society the benefit of their projected rehabilitation.
6. Murder someone and you die.
Whether or not a murder was pre-meditated, the effect on the victim is still the same. The victim is not any less dead because the murder was not pre-meditated. The victim’s family isn’t any better off because the murder was not pre-meditated.
7. Public Executions
The death penalty is anestecized today. Hardly anyone sees it or more importantly learns to fear it. The impact upon daily lives and the criminal fear factor from execution is negligible. Execute criminals publicly, preferably at the scene of their crimes. Those who do not want to watch can elect not to. Make it available to TV stations and the Internet. In that way, the youngsters and adults thinking about crime or already into petty crime might have second thoughts. At least they might gain some fear.
8. Attempted Murderers do not get a second chance at murder.
Penalty should be lifetime in jail without the possibility of parole. This penalty should also encompass all who commit crimes with the usage or threat of usage of a lethal weapon (gun, knife, bomb, pitchfork, baseball bat, etc.). A person who uses such weapons in the commission of a crime implies that they will murder the victim if the victim doesn’t do what the criminal wants. That threat is an obvious attempted murder.
9. Politicians may not grant pardons.
It is absolutely ridiculous that criminals who have been tried and found guilty of a crime through our court systems can be pardoned by a state Governor or the President. Especially in the case of a murderer, the upcoming penalty can become a political event/circus in the U.S. and around the world as opponents of our current laws try to subvert the legal results of our justice system. If you are a citizen who disagrees with current laws, then that’s what voting booths are for in a democracy like ours. Punishment of crimes should not be subject to political whims or pressure.
10. Minor mistakes in criminal trial procedures that have no impact on the actual (not legal) guilt or innocence of the accused should not be accepted as a basis for a new trial. Decisions on the procedural questions should be made by the original judge whenever possible since no other judge has the intimate knowledge of the facts presented in the trial.
11. Jails must be transformed into safe havens for rehabilitation.
Today, jails are a dangerous place of rape, violence, intimidation, gangs, code of silence on crimes committed, etc.. Rehabilitation cannot be facilitated well under such circumstances. Criminals in jail can even utilize the phones or the internet to commit fraud, identity theft, and other crimes. All of this has to be stopped. Goes back to putting fear back into the minds of criminals. Criminals need to have a healthy fear of incarceration when they get out of jail. Crimes committed in jail must be prosecuted as crimes and must count against the three strikes and you’re dead rule. Every inch of the place, including bathrooms and showers must be under surveillance cameras including cameras that can ‘see’ in the dark. Precautions must be taken to ensure the film is not misused in a criminal manner. Over time, jails need to progress to single occupant rooms (to minimize rape potential). The ‘rights’ of criminals in jail need to be clearly defined. TV, phone, and internet privileges are not, for instance, criminal rights. Neither is throwing feces on walls or at officers (that’s a crime). What is a crime in society is also a crime in prison and needs to be handled in a similar manner. Zero tolerance. Rioting in jails should be punishable by death plus it is okay for police to shoot to kill to quell a riot (a riot is nothing more than attempted murder). Starting a fire in jail is also attempted murder. Tattoos, often a symbol of gang loyalty and violence, is not a right in jail and therefore tattoos added while incarcerated should be treated as a crime. It is a form of intimidation.
12. The assets of convicted criminals must be forfeited to government to help compensate victims and pay for incarceration costs. When criminals have families, reasonable rules need to be established so as not to throw them into poverty for crimes they did not commit.
Getting it Right - Welcome
The goal of this blog is to publish my thoughts on a variety of economic and political topics in the hopes that people who find them educational or beneficial will utilize them and/or forward to others who might find them interesting and/or worthwhile to promote to others, possibly including politicians who can push some of these ideas to fruition. The topics in my blog are meant to be of value on a long term basis, not a daily diary or political issue of the day log. If the information posted is useful to you, by all means utilize it and/or forward it as you see fit. If not useful, then merely ignore it. There are no universally agreed upon truisms and too little tolerance between some of those with opposing viewpoints to successfully convince the people with hardened opinions to move away from them. I am an analytical type person who will try to be as factual as I am able.
I disdain the current popularity of name calling and condemnation of viewpoints with no factual alternatives or logical solutions given that I see so often. If you don't have a solution based on fact and logic, then opt out of the discussion because you have nothing to contribute. My background is a degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and 39 years working in middle management jobs for a major retailer. My opinions are forged on the personal experence of life, family, friends, and work as well as triumphs and mistakes that I have made and hopefully learned from. My hope is that this blog helps you.
My first topic will be about personal finance. I chose that one first because most of us work long and hard just to survive but not all of us realize our dreams of becoming financially independent from the labors of our work. Much of our political votes/thinking also focus on the economy and in particular how well we are personally doing financially.
It is relatively simple, without sacrificing the enjoyment of living for 'today' and even at moderate incomes, to retire as a millionaire or multi-millionaire, if you focus on that goal consistently from a young age. It is also simple to ensure that your child or grandchild retires rich. It merely requires a one time gift of just $2,000 invested wisely and the passage of time. Please read my first post on this blog to learn more.
An index/schedule of past and future posts and their dates will always be updated so that it becomes the first post that you see below. If the date of a post that you wish to read is preceded by the word "Posted", then find it below or click on the title in the Blog archive to review.
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