Traditional Crime Policy Over the Last Several

Traditional Crime Policy

Over the last several decades, the policy approach that is used in enforcing the law has been increasingly brought to the forefront. This is because there has been a sharp rise in the crime rates around the world since the end of World War II. At first, these increases were believed to be a part of the adverse changes from the war and its impact on society. (Gilling)

However, by the 1950s it was obvious that society was facing tremendous challenges with these rates. In response, a series of studies were conducted to effectively deal with the root causes of criminal activity (by focusing on the pathology of the individual). This created heated debates between traditional and evidence based advocates, who believed that the current approach can address these issues (by serving as a deterrent for everyone). (Gilling)

As a result, tough sentences were handed down to offenders in order to achieve these objectives. This resulted in the country facing massive increases in the total number of offenders inside the criminal justice system. Evidence of this can be seen in the below chart (which is highlighting the rate of these increases since 1980 (based upon Justice Department figures).

To address these issues, many advocates of evidence-based crime are calling for a new approach. This is leading to increased debates about the policies for dealing with these challenges. To determine which strategy is the most effective requires: comparing traditional and evidence-based crime policies. This will highlight the benefits of making this kind of change and the potential challenges that will be encountered during the process. ("Key Facts at a Glance") (Gilling)

Traditional Crime Policies

Traditional policies are focused on preventing someone from becoming involved in criminal activities through a policy of deterrence. This is when the law clearly defined what activities are considered to be illegal. Anyone who violated these regulations was subject to strict penalties. Several of the different laws that fall under this theory include: prostitution, murder, rape, robbery, assault / battery and the possession of illegal substance. The basic idea is to have these kinds of policies can change the behavior of criminals. (Gilling) (Walker)

During the court proceedings, the standards for proving someone guilty are based upon: eyewitness testimony, the evidence that is collected from the crime scene and any other information. The combination of these factors is used to demonstrate if the perpetrator is guilty in a jury trial. (Gilling) (Walker)

When this occurs, they will more than likely face long jail sentences with little to no support in reforming the individual. This is illustrating how the traditional approach is seen as one that will punish criminals for their actions. It is at this point that many people will think twice about becoming involved in something that is considered to be illegal. (Gilling) (Walker)

Evidence of this can be seen with observations from Walker (2011) who said, "In the past, criminal justice practitioners operated on instinct and assumption, not science. They tried new approaches, because they sounded as though they should be effective. But, it did not occur to them to examine the research before they instituted a new technique or to measure its effectiveness when deploying it. In short good policies are not enough; sound policies require solid evidence." This is illustrating how the traditional approach for dealing with criminal activity is to go after the perpetrators. The way this is accomplished is to give investigators tremendous latitude when implementing these practices. (Walker)

As a result, this has led to high numbers of incarnations and repeat offenders. The reason why is because many programs are launched with the best of intentions. However, law enforcement officials do not conduct any kind of critical research to determine if this will serve as an effective deterrent. When this happens, these programs will be ineffective, which is leading to an increase in arrests and incarceration rates. (Walker)

Evidence-Based Crime Policies

Evidence-based crime policies are focused on using research, scientific techniques and other factors to show that someone is linked to a crime. Moreover, there is an emphasis on reforming the individual by looking at their circumstances. During legal proceedings, judges can take these issues into account as a part of the sentencing. This means that defendants are not automatically facing long jail terms for their actions. (Walker)

Instead, they will receive a lighter sentence. When this happens, the total number of incarceration rates will begin to decline (by not automatically sending people to jail). At the same time, there are programs designed to help educate and reform individuals when they are released from the penal system. These elements are showing how there is greater flexibility in evidence-based techniques (through: examining different variables in the process). (Walker)

As a result, any kind of program is carefully studied for its effectiveness and ability to address these challenges. When this happens, various resources are more efficiently utilized by focusing on the root causes of criminal activity. This means that there are a number of programs that are utilized in achieving these objectives. (Walker)

However, for any approach to be implemented, there are various considerations that must be taken into account. The most notable include:

It demands empirical evidence demonstrating the success of the program. This requires that everyone must take a realistic view when looking at these kinds of initiatives and if they will be effective.

There are high benchmarks for experimental or quasi-experimental research. Under this kind of system an evaluation standard developed by the University of Maryland. The way it works is based upon a rating system of 1 through 5. Anything that is listed at the lower end of the scale will have limited amounts of success. This could mean that more research is required or the techniques of actuaries were inconclusive.

Replication of these results must be correlated with similar studies that were conducted. This requires that all programs must have detailed research that is conducted by several different sources. This improves everyone's ability to analyze and determine if an initiative will be successful over the long-term. (Walker)

The combination of these factors, is showing how evidence-based policies must demonstrate that they are effective. Moreover, there is an emphasis on moving away from crime and punishment towards understanding the reasons why someone will become involved in this activity. As a result, this is much different in contrast to traditional-based crime policies. (Walker)