Crime Prevention

Crime rates today have gone down significantly since the early 1990's and everyone wants to take credit for it. I thought this video was pretty funny but it just goes to show that in order to maintain order and stability sometimes one must think outside the box and be creative. This video shows prisoners in the Phillipines doing the "thriller" dance routine as a form of exercise. These prisoners are working as a team to accomplish a common goal and, as you can see, no one is fighting, and they are all working together. Ross (2003), states that prison programs are important to keep prisoners busy. Keeping prisoners busy is important because it reduces the tension of being incarcerated and greatly reduces the chances of rioting which is a lot more expensive. The dance routine shown above probably did not cost much, if it costed anything at all.

The government, liberals and conservatives alike, have tried to find different ways to prevent crime and increase rehabilitation but have not had much success. Society has gone through policies such as the zero tolerance policies, the increase of cops, and the "three strikes" law to try and reduce crime. Although, crime is lower today compared to the early 1990's, studies have not concluded that any of these methods are the reason for such crime reductions.

Walker (2001), states that the solution to crime prevention is not always a criminal justice strategy. Sometimes, activies such as picking up trash in a bad area can make all the difference in the world (similiar to the "Broken Windows" theory). Both Ross(2003), and Walker (2001), stated that work plays a significant role in the rehabilitation for prisoners once released. However finding and creating these types of jobs is another story still yet to be solved.