Why do killers, rapists, child molesters, drug dealers, robbers, and burglars go free? A large portion of early release prisoners commit serious crimes after being released. In fact, in a three year follow up of 108,850 State Prisoners released in 1983 from institutions in eleven states, within three years sixty percent of violent crime offenders were rearrested.
More than half of those charged with violent crimes were discharged within two years. These criminals are sent right back to the streets to cause trouble again. The laws and justice system has to stick to their guns when it comes to prison terms.If some person is charged with armed robbery and sentenced to fifteen years in prison, why should they be released in five years or less? We must make criminals pay for their crimes.
If individuals are incarcerated for the full length of their given sentence, I believe that there will be less repeat offenders and an overall smaller crime rate. Today there is a growing awareness of repeat offenders among society in reference to crime. Repeat offenders describe a group of individuals in the United States that even after being convicted of a crime on more then one occasion.Starting around 1980, there was a noticeable increase in crime rates in the U.
S. In many of these cases, it was noted that these individuals were in fact repeat offenders. So, on March of 1994 California enacted the Three Strikes law. This law and other laws like it are currently being utilized today all around the United States.
This law was first backed by victim’s rights advocates in the state to target habitual offenders. The reason California holds the most importance on this law is due to the fact that it has the largest criminal justice system in America, and it has the most controversy surrounding this law in particular.This law states that if you are convicted of a felony offense you are to be sentenced from twenty-five years to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This law is to be known as the biggest break through in crime prevention history.
The problem with all these repeat offenders is that they are dangerous and violent and they terrorize our communities. They tie up valuable police time, and officers go out of their way to keep apprehending the same criminals. Officers and departments oftentimes target repeat offenders and look at them first when dealing with a case.There are repeat offender programs and have been in the past that target and identify repeat offenders for surveillance and arrests.
These offenders are not targets for an unjust reason. Statistics prove that it is likely for offenders to repeat crimes and commit crimes after having previous convictions or arrests. There is reason to believe targeting these offenders can reduce crime rate significantly. There are prison programs to help reduce the chance of offenders returning to prison.
One Pennsylvania jail has a great program their testing out to get inmates jobs sooner rather than being behind bars so long.They also counsel inmates throughout their first year of having the new job to support them. It could be tough for inmates to adjust to society, try and pay for child support if they have any, or bills, and become very easy to slip back onto the crooked path of crime. “A University of Pittsburgh study showed that the government saves six dollars for every one dollar spent on reducing recidivism.
Some lawmakers are suggesting ways to reduce the inmate population by moving nonviolent prisoners out from behind bars as much as possible. States could save $7. 6 billion and local governments about $7. billion if the nation’s inmate populations are cut back to the 1993 level, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
One bill seeks to reduce prison crowding by providing alternative sentences for nonviolent offenders. Another allows individuals with short sentences to serve their time in community corrections centers. The third bill could save about $30 million annually by providing alternative punishments for technical parole violators instead of sending them back to prison, Greenleaf said. ” (Pitt, Tribune) Statistics show that targeting repeat offenders is a great approach.
After looking at the statistics, it is made clear that when departments target repeat offenders they are justified in doing so and have a good reason. According to criminologists, six percent of the criminals in the United States are responsible for seventy percent of all crimes. Criminal histories of these offenders reveal that, as a group they have 7,480 previous convictions, for an average of 10. 3 convictions each.
These are high rates when dealing with crime. If the six percent is able to be identified and incarcerated, this could make a drastic decrease in crime rates.After understanding these statistics, and knowing the chances of offenders repeating crimes, targeting them is the best thing prison systems, and police officers can do. Many people may wonder why these offenders can be convicted of a crime and turn up as a repeat offender There is no one direct answer to this.
However, there are reasons that help cause criminals to repeat offenses even after being arrested previously for the same or even similar crime. For example, for many people in this situation, crime is their way of life. They may have grown up in a lower income family and neighborhood and been around crime all their life.This causes, in some cases, an, “addiction to crime.
” They don’t know any other way of living or they think it is what they have to do. Also in some of these offenders’ situations, they are too stubborn and like the way they live and enjoy committing crimes. These examples can come from any background but all have the same mentality of wanting and enjoying the criminal life style. They do it to fit in with a certain crowd or even to simply make them feel good about themselves.
The final cause often pointed out is the face they feel forced back into criminal life and support themselves and maybe their family as well.This could also be due to gang involvement forcing them back into their old ways. However, this often times is due to society itself. These criminals can get released and try to correct their life and support themselves and maybe their family.
These reasons show that criminals are not just repeat offenders randomly; they oftentimes have a reason behind it. Most of violent offenders are still criminals when they are released. There are thousands of cases of repeat offenders. Sex offenders are fifty-two percent more likely to commit a crime again over the average repeat offender.
One interesting story is the case of John Evander Couey.He was previously convicted of fondling a child under the age of sixteen and was put on the sex offender registry in the State of Florida. He also had a long rap sheet of previous misdemeanors that included drunken driving, indecent exposure and countless others. He was left alone by police until a little girl by the name of Jessica Lunsford went missing.
After she went missing, police noticed a change in address by Couey and followed up with his sister and her boyfriend. Once the police found Couey in Georgia months later, he was apprehended and eventually confessed to the brutal murder and rape of this 12 year old girl.Another famous repeat offender is the Teflon don himself, John Gotti. He was known for his flashy attire and ruthless ways of running the Gambino crime family.
Between 1957 and 1961 Gotti was arrested five times. Each time the sentences were either dismissed or reduced to probation. Due to his status he was able to get away with almost anything. Celebrities today are a great example of repeat offenders how many times do you hear about a celebrity getting caught with drugs, an illegal gun, or drunk driving? The statistics are astounding they feel as if they will get special treatment from just their popularity.
Another repeat offender, about two years ago, was arrested and convicted in the State of California. John Gardner was previously convicted of molesting a thirteen year old girl and was thought to be involved in the assault on a twenty-two year old woman, and the disappearance of a fourteen year old girl. He only served five years in prison. A few weeks after, he kidnapped and killed a seventeen year old girl in San Diego.
The last case and most recent one I found, was two Aprils ago, involving a three time felony repeat offender, Vance Morris.He had two prior convictions of attempted robbery and attempted drug sale. He was now being charged with a violation of a protection order against his girlfriend whom he threatened to kill. As in many other states, New York has a three strike law, which led to his fifteen to life prison verdict.
Overall, all these repeat offenders committed crimes even after being arrested by police. The few six percent that was mentioned above is the difference of seventy percent of crime in a community. What doesn’t make sense is why police aren’t targeting the six percent instead of waiting for them to commit other crimes.Prisons are also over crowding to extreme extents.
Instead of throwing a non-violent offender in jail for pot or a petty charge, police and the courts should focus on the ‘6%’ers” of society. Repeat offenders should be put in prison for a longer time period then the average offender as well. The United States has nearly tripled the amount of people in prison then most European countries. Something has to change and it is the way the courts process these offenders and the way policing is reactive in the community, instead of proactive staying on top of the few people that cause the crime.
