Number of Crime Prevention and Treatment Programs - Research Paper Example

Order # 526898 Academia-Research. Com 25 April Criminological theories: How do they relate to the systems of prevention and punishment The comprehensive study and research titled “Criminological Theory Summaries.”(uwec.edu) has a long list of sixteen, well-defined theories from the so-called classical, individual trait, peacemaking to developmental life course. This report which chooses a few models of criminal and crime prevention, treatment and punishment programs will try to dissect and relate all relevant criminological theories related to the systems of prevention, treatment and punishment. There are a number of criminal prevention and treatment programs which have gain a certain degree of accomplishments more efficacious than the tougher criminology aspects of suppression or punishment. The employ of such youth and juvenile-oriented programs vary from one state to another although local authorities and police officials admit that one without the other is simply incomplete. In criminal prevention and suppression, both practices are displaying effectiveness at different levels although prevention had proven to be more efficacious in exploiting the use and management of one of the least discussed but highly important areas of criminology – the finances. 2 In seeking for the restoration of the Community Youth Services grant line for the two fiscal years 2011 and 2012, Chicago Area Project (CAP) Director David E. Whitaker, said that the programs which focus on juvenile delinquency prevention cost taxpayers less than $500 per youth yearly while the expense of keeping a juvenile delinquent in detention is estimated to be up to $80,000 or $75,000 more expensive per youth, per year. The director of the Illinois side of the CAP project said that even if only one percent or 700 of these youths go into juvenile detention, the cost would be a staggering $56 million annually or ten times greater than the entire Community Youth Services grant line. And that is just the beginning, added Whitaker, as research had proven that youth in juvenile detention often become the adult criminals of tomorrow. Prevention may warrant a more judicious use of finances, however, prevention and treatment alone is not enough. Both community-oriented practices lack the tougher discipline and very important protective elements of the overall design of crime prevention, suppression and punishment. Such principle is explicitly underlined in the mission statement of the Anti-Gang Office, a division of the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security in Houston, Texas in these words: The office operates under the premise that gang activity is best addressed through three strategies: prevention, intervention and suppression. Prevention and intervention are offered by service organizations, with suppression addressed by law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. (houstontx.gov) 3 Peace and stability starts at home particularly with the parents themselves establishing the very core of discipline and provisions that make for a peaceful and stable family, the most basic foundation of any society. Generally, the whole community and the public at large will eventually take charge in the overall aspect of crime deterrence noting that the pillars of the justice system notably the police can only be as affective as the general public wants them to be. In reiterating the effective symmetry of criminology, a Mayor of Houston states that: “suppression is generally not successful alone. Houston provides an example of how suppression can be combined with other program elements, in that the Mayor's Anti-Gang Office uses suppression techniques as one element of the OJJDP's comprehensive gang model, “a paradigm that utilizes five core strategies (community mobilization, provision of opportunities, social intervention, suppression, organizational change and development) to address gang issues within a targeted community.”(usmayors.org) Working closely in consonance with the Anti-Gang Office of the Mayor, the Houston Police Department Gang Task Force is just one of the many outfits of this type of police enforcement operating across America. Like most police enforcement units throughout the United States, the Houston police is in itself an important fixture of governance and law enforcement ever since the establishment of Houston as a city. Although some of the complimentary support systems of law enforcement, peace and security like the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office is relatively new. It has started to compliment law enforcement as a crime prevention and treatment outfit only in 1994. Some of the privately-managed organizations with similar adherence have been in existence for decades. 4 One of these is the Chicago-based CAP: Chicago Area Project (CAP) was founded in the 1930's by Clifford Shaw, a University of Chicago sociologist, who believed every neighborhood could reduce juvenile delinquency by improving community life. …CAP is a, not-for-profit organization with a distinguished history and demonstrable track record of over 75 years of work in delinquency prevention and service in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods… (chicagoareaproject.org) Considering the nature of its operation as a private-sector organization, the Chicago Area Project is basically a crime prevention and treatment organization supplementary to traditional government-operated groups which are more complex with its crime suppression and law enforcement capabilities like the Houston Police Department Gang Task Force which keeps an eye on crime-prone areas where the presence of gangs and their nefarious activity is high. Criminal suppression is implemented through police visibility which invariably sends the message of crime deterrence using the strong arms of the law through police action of targeting, arresting and incarcerating gang members involved in activities that greatly undermine public safety, peace and stability. While they do that, the Anti-Gang office continuously works with the neighborhoods and the community support systems like service organizations and schools to shore up conflict resolution and counseling among at-risk youth. The office also works closely with school authorities to lessen truancy, provides employment leads and creates recreation programs where restless youths can productively spend their youthful energy. To further lessen the incidence of more young people joining the street war, the Anti-Gang Office saturates the communities with awareness training to individuals using the expertise of educators, law enforcement personnel, probation officers and socially-oriented individuals. The teamwork has 5 been successful with the use of such high-tech monitoring facilities and devices as geo-mapping and tracking systems to help Anti-Gang office staff and assigned police units keep track with gang locations and youth programs assistance sites. In the adaptations of criminological theories by Cullen & Agnew (uwec.edu), the all-embracing research and study presented a summary of sixteen theories listed as Classical, Positivist, Individual Trait, Social Disorganization, Differential Association and Social Learning Sub-cultural, Institutional-Anomie, General Strain, General Theory of Crime Control, Rational Choice and Deterrence, Routine Activities, Labeling and Re-integrative Shaming, Critical, Peacemaking, Feminism, Developmental Life Course and Integrated. Some of the relevant criminological theories that best described the most common conditions already obtaining in our society are Classical which states that the occurrence of crime is influenced in a condition where benefits outweigh the costs. This is when people pursue self-interest in the absence of effective punishments. This theory describes crime as a free-willed choice. Differential Association is “Interacting with anti-social peers is a major cause of crime. Criminal behavior will be repeated and become chronic if reinforced.” Institutional-Anomie is “the gap between the American Dream’s goal of economic success and the opportunity to obtain this goal creates structural strain. Norms weaken and ‘anomie’ ensues, thus creating high crime rates.”(uwec.edu) There are two theories that best describe the programs of the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office, the Houston Police Department Gang Task Force and the Chicago Area Project. Certainly, they don’t fall under the theory of Social Disorganization which states that disorganized communities 6 cause crime because informal social controls break down. The so-called criminal cultures are emerging. But the above-mentioned organizations are not lacking in collective efficacy in combating crime and disorder. One criminological action that does not sit well with the theory on Labeling and Re-integrative Shaming is Suppression or Punishment. Labeling is when people become stabilized in criminal roles soon as they are branded as criminals, are stigmatized, develop criminal instincts, are incarcerated, and labeled as outcasts of society. The theory suggests an approach that is less likely to create defiance and commitment to crime. The theory on Rational Choice and Deterrence has something to do with finances as in the case of the CAP grant line controversy in the State of Illinois. In this principle which builds on classically theory, crime is seen as a choice that is influenced by its costs and benefits. Crime deterrence is more successful if its costs are raised like requiring more efforts and more punishment applied. The prevention and treatment undertaken by such well-known organizations as the Chicago Area Project, the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office in Houston or such similar institution as the nationwide Boys and Girls Club of America are programs that fall under the theory of Peacemaking. This theory embraces a more compassionate and humane approach in dealing with future crimes and criminals knowing that crimes is caused by suffering due to injustice that takes root in inequality and daily personal acts of harm. Peacemaking theory strongly suggests that “Making ‘war on crime’ will not work. Making peace is the solution to crime. (uwec.edu) 7 Cullen and Agnew. “Criminological Theory Summaries.” uwec.edu. 2002. Web. 27 April 2011. Harrington, Patricia. “Public Safety and Homeland Security.” houstontx.com. 2011. Web. 25 April, 2011. White, Bill. “Houston Mayor White Oversees Gang-Free Schools and Communities Project.” usmayors.org. 10 April 2006. Web. 23 April 2011. CAP. “About Chicago Area Project.” chicagoareaproject.org. Web. 23 April 2011. Read More