Tough on criminals, soft on crime: power, drugs and the failure Over the recent past one of the major problems has been that of conflicts between the criminals and the society on the whole. There has been debate regarding the facts whether we have handled the problems more aptly or not. Because there are certain schools of thought that are of the opinion that we should not go soft on the crime side in any case or form. It is this world of the organized crime that is responsible for all the power abuse and the drugs and they have caused, instigated and at times bribed the people to bring the social system to a standstill. It is all their doing which can prove to be too costly for the people and the culture as well as for the economy on the whole in the long run. As per the conflict perspective, the differential structure of social power necessarily requires that dominant groups to exercise control over subordinate groups but is that really the case? Yes we do need some form of dominance and the other over the period of time but is that really all that there is to life? In reality if we look at things this is the way we have begun to perceive things because a bigger and a better society needs people to be more open and they need to be more apt. They are the ones who have to look at the things and it is up to them to interpret the meanings of the things in the literal sense. If we start to believe that the people are going to dominate others and there are some who are very docile and innocuous and there are others who are good at governance and who are good at controlling things is that the good enough reason to allow them to do the things their way? In my opinion it should never be that way simply because those who have the power ...
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... move all the time. It is about the nature of addiction and the ancillary crime associated with it, which causes so many people to get entangled in it all. Although there has been a lot of talk about the treatment and rehabilitation and the reason for that is that it is significantly less expensive and more effective. Public safety is something that is completely dependent on how well we are able to control the above-mentioned social evils because in front of them it becomes a secondary thing. Incarceration is not always the only solution that is available to the authorities because that may deter the world of organized crime but it does not strike at the very roots that it is founded on. That is the whole objective that we should avoid going soft on the world of crime at all costs if we want to have any chance of preserving the sanctity of the future generations.
“You are hereby sentenced to life without the possibility of parole”. These are the words that a juvenile in America is likely to hear. Collectively, as a nation, the United States has incarcerated more juveniles with life sentences than any other nation. With this fact the arguments arise that juveniles should not be punished the same was as an adult would be but, is that really how the justice system should work? To allow a juvenile who recently robbed a store only get a slap on the wrist? Not comprehending that there are consequences for their actions and how what they have done affects the victims.
President Barack Obama, the United States of America’s 44th president is on his second term of presidency and has addressed more social and financial issues during his tenure than crime control policies. President Obama came into office in 2009 and continues to serve as President of the United States. As one evaluates the policies that are in place during his administration a conclusion can be made that his primary focus has been that of health care, civil rights, and foreign policy amongst other agendas that don’t necessarily address his crime policy. President Obama has not proposed any majorly significant crime policies or drastic changes in the crime policies that were in place prior to his appointment (Marion & Oliver, 2012).
...e to high incarceration rate and perception of high crime rate, public and private institutions that help establish positive social control outside of the home no longer exist. In addition, the mass incarceration leaves a lot of single parent homes where the working parent have no time to enforce social control. Furthermore, the war on drug creates a path dependency through economic interests. The policies allow the government to seize users and dealers property. In addition, some states sale bonds to build prisons and the state have deals with the companies that provide services to the inmates.
“[The war on drugs] has created a multibillion-dollar black market, enriched organized crime groups and promoted the corruption of government officials throughout the world,” noted Eric Schlosser in his essay, “A People’s Democratic Platform”, which presents a case for decriminalizing controlled substances. Government policies regarding drugs are more focused towards illegalization rather than revitalization. Schlosser identifies a few of the crippling side effects of the current drug policy put in place by the Richard Nixon administration in the 1970s to prohibit drug use and the violence and destruction that ensue from it (Schlosser 3). Ironically, not only is drug use as prevalent as ever, drug-related crime has also become a staple of our society. In fact, the policy of the criminalization of drugs has fostered a steady increase in crime over the past several decades. This research will aim to critically analyze the impact of government statutes regarding drugs on the society as a whole.
By having the political sector involved we saw more and more struggle for which train of thought was going to be dominant, and who exactly was responsible for decreasing the crime and drug rate. The political sector used various techniques such as portraying to the media, attacking each party on their perspectives on the crime and drug issues, as well as blaming society for basically regenerating these “criminals” generation after generation, as well as noting that the criminal was the one at fault and no one else. We saw diverse opinions however; in looking back the developments mentioned above shaped the politicization, which I personally believe will never go away. We have now integrated numerous agencies into the criminal justice system and even in the twentieth century there was political pull in regards to the war on crime, and how tough the political sector thought the government should be (Beckett,
There are different principles that makeup the crime control model. For example, guilt implied, legal controls minimal, system designed to aid police, and Crime fighting is key. However one fundamental principle that has been noted is that ‘the repression of criminal conduct is by far the most important function to be performed by the criminal processes’. (Packer, 1998, p. 4). This is very important, because it gives individuals a sense of safety. Without this claim the public trust within the criminal justice process would be very little. The general belief of the public is that those that are seen as a threat to society, as well as those that fails to conform to society norms and values should be separated from the rest of society, from individuals who choose to participate fully in society. Consequently, the crime control model pro...
The repeated use of drugs often causes both physical and psychological dependence, as mentioned in an article by the Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (“Drug Dependence”). In order for an individual to truly be set free from their addiction, seeking treatment is necessary. Rehab centers are a great place with scientifically proven methods to cure those addicted to drugs. It is important to try to end drug use in our country, rather than allowing it to continue longer than it already has. While funding for rehabilitation facilities could become an issue, drug users may continue their addiction without proper treatment, and therefore those arrested for drug use should be sent to a rehabilitation center instead of prison.
There are multiple crime television shows that are based on a true story or fiction. A well known television show is Law and Order Special Victims Unit, which deals with rape and assault cases. This particular episode deals with a domestic violence case between a retired football star, AJ Martin, and his girlfriend, Paula Bryant. I will be using the National Crime Victimization Survey, which is an interview with the members in a household about reported and unreported crime that occurred within the last six months. “NVCS provides information of characteristics of victims, including age, race, ethnicity, gender, marital status and household income” (Truman and Morgan). Official statistics like the NCVS would be used for comparing its demographics
Conflict criminology strives to locate the root cause of crime and tries to analyze how status and class inequality influences the justice system. The study of crime causation by radical criminologist increased between 1980s and 1990s as this led to the emergence of many radical theories such as Marxist criminology, feminist criminology, structural criminology, critical criminology, left realist criminology and peacemaking criminology (Rigakos, 1999). In spite of critical criminology encompassing many broad theories, some common themes are shared by radical research. The basic themes show how macro-level economic structures and crime are related, effects of power differentials, and political aspects in defining criminal acts.
People have to remember what a criminal is though. In simple terms, a criminal is an individual who has committed a crime. These crimes can range from littering on the highway to murdering someone and disposing of the body. The issues only occur when a person decided to pursue the wrong type of power. Power can be utilized for good rather than bad. The thing about criminals is, they will always be able to get ahold of the weapon of destruction. Whether that weapon be cocain or a 9 millimeter, they can and they will acquire it. It has been proven in the past, and will continue to be proven. Bootleggers were under the counter alcohol dealers, and although the selling and purchasing of alcohol was prohibited, there were still many people getting their hands on alcohol. It is the same with drugs. The producing, purchasing, dealing, and consumption of drugs; it does not matter what you do with them, it is all illegal. In way too many cases people still manage to get ahold of these illegal substances. Point being, it does not matter one bit if carrying a gun outside your home was to be made illegal, there will always be law abusers and law breakers. It all comes down to power. People crave power, they will kill for it, which is exactly why having a conceal to carry is a fantastic opportunity that gives people the power to protect themselves, their family, and others from
According to Rachel Boba, “Crime analysis is a law enforcement function that involves systematic analysis for identifying and analyzing patterns and trends in crime and disorder” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime analysis).The information on these patterns can assist law enforcement agencies in the deployment of resources in a more effective manner; it can also help detectives to identify and catch suspects. Crime analysis also plays a role in improvising solutions to crime problems, and developing crime prevention strategies. There are various types of technology that is used in crime analysis. Crime analysis relies heavily on computer technology, and over the past fifteen years there has been a significant improvement in computer hardware and software that has led to tremendous developments in this field. One form of hardware that is used by Crime analysts to complete most of their work is Desktop personal computers, laptop computers are also used by crime analysts for fieldwork and presentations. Other forms of hardware that are used include color laser printers that can produce high-quality documents quickly, plotters which are printers that can produce large poster size color maps, scanners, and digital cameras, these specific types of hardware is mostly used by police departments when analyzing crime.
“Getting tough on drugs inevitably translates into getting soft on nondrug crime,” they write. “When a decision is made to wage a ‘war on drugs,’ other things that criminal justice resources might do have to be sacrificed.”
However, “Conflict theory holds that the administration of criminal justice reflects the unequal distribution of power in society. The more powerful groups use the criminal justice system to maintain their dominant position and to repress groups or social movements that threaten it. (Hess, Orthmann and Wright) This theory is to be a conflict about power of the people that are to be in charge such as the government and local authorities to get what they want, when where and the reason for their actions as a means of preventing those that do not have the power of authority to do as they
Furthermore, murder is a very dramatic crime. It seems as if murder in small towns can be more painful because of the familiarity of each family. Small towns hit by murder could have survivors losing relatives and friends that they have known all of their lives. Also, in some instances the survivors know the killer. People have been shot over small problems and threatened whole communities. Killing six or more people in a small town seems much more devastating than six people in a large city with millions, though both are very tragic events. The percentage of lives touched can truly be a shock to the core of a close knit township.
Actus reus, mens rea…A guilty crime, a guilty mind. These words ring true for and crime, whether it is a simple misdemeanor, or as bad as a felony. Crimes can be any manner of things, from crimes against the person to crimes against property and against justice. The law has the extent of inchoate offenses, or “planning” to do a crime. These include an attempt at serious crime, conspiracy, incitement, or solicitation of services. Each of these is viewed differently in the eyes of the public and the eyes of those who interpret the law. In the United States, crime was at one of the highest rates in the world in the 1990’s, but has since decreased steadily. However, through massive amounts of mainstream media, the public is now far more aware of crime that does happen. The U.S. now spends far too much money and time focusing on legislation involving capital punishment, allowing jails to become over crowded with too-small crimes such as possession of marijuana, allowing ridiculous amounts of money to be spent on jails and prisoners.