Wasted Adulthood
Does Prison Deter Crime at 18?
By Daniel Muniz

It has long been held that the moment youthful offenders are treated and penalized as adults that they will be deterred from committing additional crimes because it will mean facing longer prison sentences. To determine the validity of this assumption, social scientists David S. Lee of Columbia University and Justin McCrary of the University of Michigan carefully researched this issue to determine if 18 year olds really did change their behavior.

The researchers examined felony arrests records in Florida and created a timeline of the criminal activity of individual repeat offenders. The research team eventually concluded that becoming adults really had no discernable effect because many of these juvenile delinquents continued their life of crime right into adulthood without abatement. And even the prospect of spending a very long time in jail didn’t really change very many young minds.

However, this research brings another argument in focus about whether or not prison actually deters crime.

The sample data was only between 1989 through 2002 and was performed only in the state of Florida. A larger sample gathered from other populous states that covers a longer stretch of time is needed to confirm the conclusions of this particular study. But suppose that even if additional research did in fact actually acknowledge these results, what does it really mean about prison being an effective deterrence to crime?

In my book, it means absolutely nothing.

It may be nice research but so what?

Hoodlums are going to do whatever the hell they want regardless of whether or not they face stiff prison sentences. Their value system, or rather a lack of one, doesn’t take into account any consequences for the future. In fact, there is not much consideration for a future. Many of them are living life the way that they want to live and not a whole lot is going to change that perspective until they make their own personal decisions to do so.

In fact, many long term prison inmates will admit that regardless of all the treatment programs available, it is still up to the individual to make that decision to radically change their life.

Although it is anecdotal, quite a bit of testimony from prison guards, counselors, and police officers tends to reflect that viewpoint. Many of these civil servants insist that plenty of thugs will continue to exhibit unacceptable behavior until they reach a moment in life that something snaps. A realization occurs that they are now too old to act like a hood. Sadly, some criminals never reach that realization. But prior to this enlightenment, lots of convicted felons have even confessed that they love the criminal life or gang banging and the element of danger that comes with it.

There are certain critics who contend that criminals do know full well of the consequences of prison thus they do want to avoid it especially because they know that it is not a luxury resort (unless it is a facility for white collar crooks).

Yes, I will agree with that assertion however many hoodlums are not afraid of prison either. To many of them, incarceration is simply one of many destinations such as being in a crack house one day, being inside your own house stealing something the next night, or in a jail cell afterwards. They know how the legal system operates and they know how the social system in a prison works and they have adapted to it.

As result, many thugs are not frightened of the prospect of spending a lot of time in this terrible place where they can enjoy television, smoke cigarettes, thumb through girly magazines, and act as violent as they want.

There are also plenty of critics who insist that prison is ineffective in preventing recidivism. I may be willing to concede this one but so what. I don’t mind one bit if a repeat offender goes back to jail especially if he stays in it longer the next time around. And that is exactly the rationale behind the “three-strikes” legislation that certain states have enacted. If thugs are going to continue wrecking havoc on society then why not incarcerate them for the rest of their natural life.

Instead of incarceration, certain activists prefer that the root causes of crime be addressed along with more treatment and rehabilitation programs.

I actually don’t mind such initiatives up to a certain extent. The problem is that so much money has already been spent to eradicate poverty and improve education and it hasn’t been all that effective. However, the only solution that these activists seem to have is to spend even more tax money. In addition, they also want to see a nanny state apparatus in which the government assumes many of the parental responsibilities that the parents of hoodlums have forsaken. Somehow, the government is supposed to be a better at parenthood.

But the bottom line is that these thugs have chosen a criminal lifestyle thus they belong in jail and they ought to be in there for a long time, especially when it comes to violent offenses.

And regardless of whatever conclusions that future research derives about prison, deterrence, and recidivism, incarceration still serves a very useful purpose in that it prevents other crimes from being committed because a hood is sitting in a prison cell instead of roaming the streets. People have personal responsibilities for their actions and prison is simply a consequence of that.

Any opinions or views expressed herein belong solely to the author and does not represent any employer, organization, political party, governmental agency, or any other entity and do not necessarily reflect the views of the site owner or its participants.