Critical Thinking Create a Crime Prevention Program Reduce Poverty

Anti-Poverty Plan

Crime/Anti-Poverty Plan

So many youths in inner cities and other depressed areas fall into the trappings of crime and poverty, and for two major reasons. Whether it be the allure of a quick buck or simple desperation due to the surrounding squalor and lack of opportunity, either can lead very poor choices being made that will haunt a person via their criminal record and/or lack of viable job history or education for much if not all of their life. However, solutions do exist to break this poverty/crime cycle but some initiatve and discipline is necessary on the part of the poor to help themselves escape from their situations and current life paths.

Opportunity for All

Opportunity for all, not equality for all, should be the goal for any anti-poverty program because equality for all is not practical or even wanted by all people. Some people strive to climb the corporate and white collar ladder while others are perfectly happy with a blue collar existence. Regardless, there are frameworks and paths that people can take to escape and remain out of poverty. However, those that do not choose to avail themselves of these aforementioned opportunities will continue to flounder and that is really their own fault if they do not take positive steps and make the right life choices.

After all, the vast majority of people who graduate high school, do not get married before age 21 and do not have children before marriage (with no other factors needed) usually stay out of poverty (Brookings, 2012). However, people should be informed to take things a step further and makes sure they know a skill trade like plumbing or electrical, if not a knowledge sector job like accounting or medical, because service and unskilled jobs are often the first to go when economic times get tough or when technology advances (Frank, 2012). However, the knowledge sector jobs typically require attendance at a college rather than a trade school but trade school jobs can pay darn well if chosen wisely.

Parallel to the mentoring and advisement of getting educated and otherwise staying away from criminal enterprises and situations is the general idea of being accountable, realizing that no one starts at the top and that a lot of hard work is necessary to secure the future. It should also be instilled that a life of drug dealing or other illegal work will only end up in jail time or death. One's dress, method of communication and life habits are important as well.