Crime and Punishment in Various Countries
Five Works Cited The effectiveness of the United States' criminal legal system has been questioned and scrutinized by the media and legal analysts for decades. Even with laws to lengthen sentences and to try younger offenders as adults, the overall crime rate in the nation is still on the rise. But why is it that in places like Iceland and Singapore crime rates are so low yet both countries have very contrasting criminal laws? It has been brought to my attention that Congress will attempt to create an entire new criminal legal system for the states to adopt in an effort to finally make the streets of America safer for its citizens. Assuming that all states will forfeit their own policies to take up the system Congress builds, it is my duty to shed light on the criminal legal system and differing views of the United States and other countries legal systems and differing views of the United States and other countries of different governments, geographies, and legal systems. I will also explore the common ground they share when prosecuting criminal offenders. The information I will discover will be taken into consideration by legislators when designing a new and improved criminal justice system.
It is first important to take a close look at the crime rate occurring in America. The United States has more citizens in prison than any other country. The incarceration rate of the U.S. is second only to Russia with 666 incarcerated per 100,000. The U.S. constitutes one third of the world's population that is imprisoned while it only makes up five percent population. (Father's Manifesto) The criminal legal system is slightly different in every state. For example, only thirty eight states practice capital punishment while the other twelve employ life imprisonment with no parole as an alternative to putting serious offenders to death. The death penalty in the United states is one of the most criticized policies in American society. Under the Constitution's eighth amendment, Americas are protected against cruel and unusual punishment. While it does not clearly define what punishment is deemed 'cruel and unusual,' several campaigns argue that capital punishment is cruel and unusual and is a direct violation of human rights. Organizations like Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights group, claims that capital punishment is not only inhumane, but it does not deter crime more effectively in comparison to other punishments not involving death. (Amnesty International) Other studies have proven that it in fact costs up to three times more to put a person to death that it does to sentence life in prison with no parole. A Texas death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for forty years.(Hoppe 1A)
Yet, with all the polls, statistics, and studies conducted to discourage the practice of the death penalty in the United States, other nations have found the death penalty, as well as other harsh punishments, is not a violation to human and civil rights, but an effective tool in keeping public safety. Singapore's criminal laws are some of the most extreme and consistent laws found in all of the world. Its government still employs the use of corporal punishment for some offenses that would receive a mere parole sentence in the U.S. Singapore's citizens have stated that even though its punishments are severe and outrageous to some, their streets are safer, cleaner, and the quality of life in Singapore is valued more because of these punishments. In this country the punishments that undergo heavy crossfire in the U.S. are swiftly carried out and as a result, crime in Singapore is significantly lower in comparison to the U.S. crime rates. (Father's Manifesto) There is a consistent mandatory death sentence for narcotic offenders. A death sentence is also immediately carried out for anyone who opens fire while committing an unlawful act - whether or not you shoot anyone or anything is not taken into consideration. (Singapore Law FAQ) Caning is another form of punishment carried out for crimes such as vandalism and sex offenses. Convicts are strapped to a trestle and the exposed buttocks of the offender are flogged by a martial arts expert. The caning is usually coupled with a prison sentence. Singapore's officials argue that its strict laws and swift, severe punishment are what sets it aside from a crime-ridden place like New York City. (Father's Manifesto)Of course, opponents to CP (corporal punishment) argue that this is also a cruel and unusual way to deter crime. However, those that argue this only need to compare the crime rates of Singapore to those of the United States. Whipping or caning is indeed stressful and painful but it is Singapore's alternative to costly long-term confinement. This way criminals are quickly reformed and released back into society as law abiding citizen. Another factor to be considered in Singapore's low crime rate is its geography and its size. The country is located northeast of Indonesia just south of Malaysia. It is roughly 3.5 times the size of Washington D.C. It is arguable to say that the reason Singapore's crime rates are low compared to the U.S. is because of its small, controllable area.
But is the size of a nation or governed land a factor in determining its crime rate? Take into consideration the territory of Puerto Rico. It is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean; considerably smaller than Singapore. However, Puerto Rico's murder rate is more than three times higher than that of the U.S. (National Center) The sharp contrast between a place like Puerto Rico and Singapore and the U.S. is that while citizens of the U.S. and Singapore enjoy a high standard of living, over half of Puerto Rico's population earns less than US$ 11,000 a year. This brings us to another question in this research. Does a socioeconomic factor playa role in a country's crime rate? Another interesting tidbit is that capital punishment does not exist in Puerto Rico. Their courts are set up similar to those of Singapore. A magistrate judge is the one who hears the case, decides the verdict and delivers the sentence. The prisons in Puerto Ricoare, for the most part, run by gangs, dilapidated, infested with insects and pose a serious health threat to inmates. (Penal Lexicon) The prison system has been under the watchful eye for the drastic and costly changes not only for the prisons, but for juvenile treatment centers, discipline measures and improvements in mental health care. The brutality of violence and disease in prisons seem like enough to prevent anyone from committing a crime that would result in jail time. Unfortunately, even with the abolishment of capital punishment and the anarchy in prisons, Puerto Rico is notorious for holding one of the world's highest murder rate. (Penal Lexicon)
After completing the criminal legal system of three random governments, it is interesting to see how each handles the ever- present demon called crime. When will there be a system that can effectively prevent crime and correct offenders without severe, barbaric tactics and without corruption and anarchy? When researching the topic on criminal legal systems, I've found that different countries have very different beliefs in which they value the life of a human. One country, the United States, will go the extra mile to find the best possible defense for its accused. Another, Singapore, will torture and beat confessions from its suspects while the other, Puerto Rico, casts its criminals into a hell practically operated by those society has thrown away. The common ground all three nations share is their never-ending struggle to provide its citizens with the means to live a life that is safe, meaningful and without fear of danger. Back in America, our government will continue to brainstorm ideas to eliminate crime in our streets and neighborhoods. Perhaps in time, we will be able to look to other governments' crime-fighting tactics when attempting to improve our own.
Works Cited
Hoppe, Christy. "Executions Costs Texans Millions." Dallas Morning News 8 March 1992: 1A
The National Center for Public Policy Research.
In Jeff Jacoby’s essay Bring Flogging Back, he discusses whether flogging is the more humane punishment compared to prison. Jacoby uses clear and compelling evidence to describe why prisons are a terrible punishment, but he lacks detail and information on why flogging is better. In the essay, he explains how crime has gotten out of hand over the past few decades, which has led to the government building more prisons to lock up more criminals. His effort to prove that current criminal punishment is not perfect or even effective is nicely done, but he struggled with discussing ways that flogging could lower the crime rates and provide a safer environment for America. Jacoby makes many claims about how crime in the United States has grown and the how faulty America’s justice system currently is.
Unlike popular belief, the cost of sentencing someone to death is actually more expensive than a life sentence in prison. In Washington, since the death penalty was reinstated 5 people have been put to death costing taxpayers roughly $120 million, that's roughly $24 million per case (Seattle University, 2015). A reason that people advocate strongly for the death penalty is because they believe that they should not have to pay for the costs to keep criminals fed, sheltered and imprisoned. In fact, 56% of Canadians surveyed believed that the one time cost of a lethal injection is cheaper and will allow their money to go towards something more advantageous like healthcare or education (Angus Reid). This is actually quite different from the truth, in fact is estimated that it costs $740 000 on average to put someone in prison for life. It is also estimated that it costs roughly $1.26 million to sentence someone to death (Seattle University, 2015). (There seems to be a discrepancy between how much a single case costs and how much Washington spent since the death penalty has been reinstated, but I could not find evidence to why that is). Among the reasons why the death penalty is so expensive is the fact that the time in courts is quite lengthy. Jury trials averaged 40.13 days in cases where the death penalty was being sought, but only 16.79 days
Though no one is completely certain, The Urantia Book Fellowship(Sprunger) many scholars believe Taoism’s foundation goes back to 604 BC, by Lao Tzu. Taoism is one of the more influential religious practices of the Eastern culture and many view it as a way of life rather than a religion. It emphasizes various themes centered on naturalness, vitality, peace, non-interference/non-resistance, refinement, detachment, flexibility, receptiveness, spontaneity, and the ways of life, speaking, and guiding behavior. Taoism represents the road, path followed in life, the flow of the universe, or the force behind the natural order of life that keeps the universe balanced and ordered. There are several variations of Taoism practiced around the world.
Wanting to understand and be involved with putting the right criminal behind bars has always been a passion. Getting a better understanding of the criminal justice system explained how innocent can be convicted. During, this learning process it has been obvious that there are new and lethal forms of criminality, which can range from international terrorism to transnational syndicates.
Confucius, , and Arthur Waley. The Analects of Confucius. New York: Random House, 1938. Print.
He suggests flogging, but he gives no evidence as to why flogging would be more effective. Since Jacoby does not consider any other alternatives to prison such as community service, loss of privileges, or in extreme cases, exile, his argument that flogging is the best alternative is unconvincing to the reader. Also, he fails to define flogging or give proof that physical punishment would lower the high crime rate in the United States. Thus, while his article raises compelling concerns about the American prison system, Jeff Jacoby fails to persuade his audience that flogging is the best alternative to
Ever since I began reading about Taoism I have change my point of view about life. “Not seeing desirable things prevents confusion of the heart”(Tao). This line in itself has taught me to not look at life as objects but to look at it as a gift. People today have lost touch with what is really important about living. No one goes around smiling anymore. I can remember as a child seeing people smile all the time, maybe that was because I was young and did not see a lot of people. I believe that if people would start to read Taoism and try to understand it than people maybe happy to be alive. This paper is going to focus mainly on ways that the average person can use Taoism to better his or her life.
that do not have the death penalty, is crime more likely to occur there than in
Winslow, R. W., & Zhang, S. (2008). Contemporary Theories of Crime. Criminology: a global perspective (). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
The most important idea, and life to a Taoist is to find harmony with one’s soul. They believe that every person is in a state of disharmony due to violence, disorder, etc. The Tao is seen as the universal energetic intelligence that informs and directs all life. It is the Supreme Being or the ultimate truth and is beyond words or any theoretical understanding. “Accepting the mystery, believing in emptiness, having faith in mind, is entering the mystery, is walking in harmony with the Tao.”
“Action in the mode of wu-wei is action in which friction—in interpersonal relationships, in intrapsychic conflict, and in relation to nature—is reduced to the minimum” (Smith 200). It is also a supreme action in Taoism, in which suppleness, simplicity, and freedom flows through us when private egos and conscious efforts are not considered one’s own.
Total rapes committed in 2010 for Canada is 576 ranking at 28th while guyana has 117 ranked at 39th. In Canada, 30.8 people own firearms per 100 people while in Guyana 14.6 people own a firearm. Canada has 2 times the amount of people owning firearms per 100 people which is not a lot considering the population gap. In canada the homicide rate per 100,000 people is 1.56 earning a rank of 12th, while in Guyana has 17 which gained the rank of 18th. Guyana has 11 times more homicides per 100,000 than Canada which shows how dangerous Guyana can be if you are not well prepared. Guyana has 140 murders per 100,000 people while Canada has 554. Canada has 4 times more murders per 100,000 people which is why it has earned the rank of 31st, while Guyana has the rank of 52nd. Per 1000 people, Canada has 1.13 of those people imprisoned earning a rank of 82nd while Guyana has 2.01 prisoners earning a rank of 41st. This shows that Guyana has 77% more prisoners per 1000 people than canada which feeds into the overpopulation of the prison in Guyana which is filled with a percentage of 120.8% while Canada’s prisons are filled to 94.3% in 2003. Lastly in Guyana the female percentage of prisoners is 3.1% while in Canada the percentage is 5% which earns the rank of 47th and is 61% more
...e and space and is therefore attainable to each individual who is ready to be released from the bonds of the physical. The Tao is perfection, a place where yin and yang come together and all that lives in diversity finds unity.
Crime is the first important major issue in the Bahamas. The crime rate is alarmingly increasing in the Bahamas. According to Celeste Nixon a tribune Staff, states in her article that “a new study reveals that the Bahamas murder rate is three time higher per capita t...
Offenses such as robbery, drug dealing, vandalism and DUI should be dealt with according to the number of crimes committed. Robbers and thieves should lose fingers, joint by joint. Multiple offenders should lose their hands. Drug dealers should be put to death by overdose of the drugs they peddled. Vandals should be dealt with in the same manner as in Singapore, caning. Multiple offenders should be beaten to death. Multiple offenders of the DUI laws should be killed by alcohol poisoning except in the case of vehicular homicide in which the offender should be put to good use... as a crash test dummy.