Do you think we should expend more effort to prevent crime, or make tougher sentences for those who do commit?

Question

Do you think we should expend more effort to prevent crime, or make tougher sentences for those who do commit crimes? What efforts could be made? What kinds of sentencing might make a difference?

Answer 1

I think we attack the position of crime at the wrong end of the equation.

Adults are pretty much set in their ways and a death sentence prevents them from ever killing again.

Considering the lengthy appeals and countless stays the cost to give a person a dirt nap is cheaper to keep alive in prison forever. Which begs the question why keep him alive if he is never going to get out.

Now back to my original point. We are raising demons with no respect for the law or anyone else.
Need an example a mother the other day in a bookstore was talking calmly to her screaming demon saying "no dear be quite or you will be put in a time out" the demon's response " I HATE YOU B**** I WISH YOU WERE DEAD!"

If I said that to my mother I won't be hear today because my dad would have sent me to the promise land already. In my neighborhood where I grew up if a parent got unto us and said they were going to call my dad. I would throw myself at the mercy of that parent.
My dad didn't beat me but we knew what the rules were and what happen if they were broken.

Today a kid can build bombs in their bedroom and when the father ask are those bombs and the kid says no. To which the father says OK.

Parents need to be parents not the kids buddy.

In short what is lacking is discipline.
Respect of the rule of law. Each time I hear about a shooting in South side of Chicago each and everytime there is the people saying with out doubt the cops shouldn't have shot the kid.

Even when some kid try to carjack an off duty policemen who sent them to the promise land.

The coward was upset the police defended himself.

So death penalty makes for a good debate but a better debate would be why can't parents be held accountable for how they raise their children.

Answer 2

Hopefully in the near future there will be video cameras every where. I believe this will help in the prevention of crime.
I do believe there should be tougher sentencing. I also believe that anyone incarcerated should NOT have television or computer privileges. If there is any television it should be minimal and only be of an educational or spiritual nature.
I think some of the cop or who done it and how they did it shows just educate criminals more, helping them be better criminals when they get released.
I think it would also be great if the people in jail or prison had to grow and harvest their own food, can it and freeze it etc. Good question, thanks for asking it.

Answer 3

Do you mean prevent crime as in adding more video cameras and hire more security guards? Or do you mean preventing kids and adults from WANTING (or sometimes needing) to commit crimes? You know where most people commit crimes? Poor communities. It's not right that they steal, but they don't have many options. They're not educated, they're living conditions are terrible, and most of them don't have a father/mother figure. Maybe if we made their lives better and educated them then they wouldn't try to commit crimes in the first place? Of course we still need cameras, guards, and punishments, but i think what I've said could really help.

Answer 4

Tougher punishments! Mandatory minimums in prisons that are real prisons. You do your FULL sentence in an 8' x 8' cell with only a cot and a toilet. Your meals are slid through a slot in the door twice a day. No good behavior, no parole, no exercise rooms, no getting out of your cell until you're released. Oh, yeah, Mandatory death for murder, rape and any crime involving a child.

Answer 5

we should expend more effort to prevent crime. hire more police officer more gun control law's. to me when someone create a crime is because they don't understand what they done so is more like a sentence to get help not really to punish the criminal. i know that sound stupid but when the criminals come out what do you expect them to do if they did not get any help during they jail time..

Answer 6

Make the sentences so long and harsh that others will have to think twice before committing the same crime.

Answer 7

Swifter justice & tougher sentences - including expanding capital punishment - could deter crime. Efforts should still be made to prevent crime, of course, but deterence counts for a lot, and currently, our justice system doesn't present a lot of it.

Answer 8

tougher sentences are actually meant to be a deterrant. there are studies that say the higher number of executions in a state actually lowers the number of crimes that warrant the death penalty. but that is debatable (as is everything ;-)

Answer 9

definetley prevention, although tougher sentences could be part of that