Today, we know that crime is often not just a matter of making bad
decisions. Rather, there are a variety of factors that are implicated
in much criminal offending, some fairly obvious like poverty, mental
illness, and drug abuse and others less so, such as neurocognitive
problems. Today, we have the tools for effective criminal behavioral
change, but this cannot be an excuse for criminal offending. In The
Future of Crime and Punishment, William R. Kelly identifies the need
to educate the public on how these tools can be used to most
effectively and cost efficiently reduce crime, recidivism,
victimization and cost.
The justice system of the future needs to be much more collaborative,
utilizing the expertise of a variety of disciplines such as
psychology, psychiatry, addiction, and neuroscience. Judges and
prosecutors are lawyers, not clinicians, and as we transition the
justice system to a focus on behavioral change, the decision making
will need to reflect the input of clinical experts. The path forward
is one characterized largely by change from traditional criminal
prosecution and punishment to venues that balance accountability,
compliance, and risk management with behavioral change interventions
that address the primary underlying causes for recidivism.
There are many moving parts to this effort and it is a complex
proposition. It requires substantial changes to law, procedure,
decision making, roles and responsibilities, expertise, and funding.
Moreover, it requires a radical shift in how we think about crime and
punishment. Our thinking needs to reflect a perspective that crime is
harmful, but that much criminal behavior is changeable.
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Smart Policies for Reducing Crime and Saving Money
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781538135433
Publisert
2019
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Bloomsbury USA
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter