rickruddell

Wow - another tough question! You are correct when you say that there are an infinite number of variables!

Different "fixes" are required for different types of communities. So what works in a small rural community might be ineffective in a city.

What works in a small community for reducing crime? When we can strengthen informal social control (when people do not engage in crime because they don't want to disappoint our friends and family members) rather than involving the police. Almost all of us have done this - think about a time when you told a friend not to drive after they had been drinking.

We build informal social control when we are involved in our communities. That also works, to an extent, in cities - but in cities we are more anonymous and don't care as much what people think of us (or what we are doing).

When it comes to cities -- Targeting specific types of offenders (e.g., gang members) and targeting specific types of crimes (such as felons carrying firearms - which is a crime) also reduces crime.

Economic development (when more people are working) and education levels are higher and housing is better - also seems to have a positive crime reduction benefit in any community.

Having a strong social safety net (e.g., good health, education, and welfare programs) are generally associated with less crime although in Europe (where these programs are very generous) their crime rates are very similar to that of the US. The exception is that in the US murder rates are higher.

Is always best to rely on informal controls (on ourselves and others) rather than depending on the police or some other outsider. But we also rely on the police as there are some folks who just don't respond to informal controls.

I think that one of the most troubling crimes are individuals who kill their entire families. Often these cases involve persons with mental illness and they occur very rarely. But - very tough to understand. If you do an internet search - Kathleen Heide has done a lot of research on this topic and written several books.

Wow - that is a tough question! In Canada they allow prison inmates to vote in elections. Voting (for prisoners) is also the norm in many European nations.

In many US states felons (even those living in the community) are not allowed to vote (the formal term is felon disenfranchisement) when they are on parole (and sometimes afterwards).

I have seen arguments both ways and think that if we are going to reform the system we should start in the community and restore the ability to vote for those who have "paid their debt to society." The numbers of disenfranchised persons is fairly large (millions).

I am sometimes fascinated by "ordinary" crimes (such as theft) of unusual items. There are a growing number of bee thefts for example in rural America/Canada. Who steals bees? We think it is other beekeepers (who else has the equipment?). Because bees are dying off some beekeepers might find it easier to steal other folks bees rather than try to take months to repopulate their bee colonies.

Of course I could be wrong about that......