A link between crime and poverty?

[Pushed To The Left]

I know this seems pretty obvious, but if most people can see the link between crime and poverty, why isn't fighting against poverty seen as part of being tough on crime? Most of the time, people tend to associate "tough on crime" with punishing criminals. While I agree that we need to punish criminals, it seems logical to me that fighting poverty would be an excellent, common sense form of crime prevention. Many Democratic/progressive ideas like the safety net, labor laws, housing laws, putting a stop to or reducing offshoring, minimum wage, full employment for all Americans, universal health care, etc. exist to make it easier for people to make it and live comfortably, which would reduce poverty..which would most likely reduce crime.

Do you believe there is a link between poverty and crime?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I think there is more of a link between poverty and punishment

than between poverty and crime/

http://www.paulsjusticepage.com/reiman.htm

[LincolnMcGrath]

2. VIVA! The Free Market !!!

Just kidding

:yoiks:

[Igel]

3. Yes.

It's not the most direct one imaginable, but yes, there's a link ('link' is such a weasel word); it doesn't account for all crime by any means, not even limiting it to theft.

[NoAmericanTaliban]

4. Its greed! Those guys from Enron, Worldcom, etc. sure aren't poor

[cynatnite]

5. You'd think this would be a no-brainer

Common sense says let's step in early so children won't grow up to be criminals.

[magellan]

6. It is a no-brainer

I was going to say that too.

Stop poverty and children stop growing up to be criminals. Stop Repugs and stop children growing up to be cowboys, too.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. When people can no longer earn an honest living...

They resort to the alternative.

[izzie]

8. I just do not know so did not vote.

Poverty seems to be with the crime we can get to and put in jail the fastest. More poor than rich so more of that type crime. More cops usually brings down the crime like that. In other words the young man who robs the 711 will more likely go to jail faster than the teller in the bank that takes a lot more money and more 711 will be robber than tellers in bank will steal because of the number. So more cops will stop the 711 type crimes where the teller will not even be seen as is usually the case.I just do not think poverty makes more crime but the type of crime. If you took 1000 poor and a 1000 rich I think you would find the same number of crooks in each but in the 1000 poor more of them would go to jail and be caught because of the different type crimes each does. It seems to go with education also. The more you have the more you can learn to get away with crime.

[cynatnite]

9. You brought up a good point...

Violent crime vs. Non-violent which is usually the white collar crime...for example Lay and Skilling of Enron.

Both can have devestating effects. Perhaps part of the problem is that violent crime is more popular than white collar. You hear all the time about the statistics of murders and rapes. How often does anyone hear about embezzelment or insider trading? It doesn't make them any less common.

Maybe it's because murders and rapes make better headlines.

[izzie]

11. I did to many social classes in college I guess.

Look at a man who works say as a delivery man has little to do with money and the bank accountant has a lot to do with money. Their are a lot of delivery men and few bank accountants. I think you will find may be 1 percent of each are crooks and their you have the answer. The delivery men will go where he can get the cash and their are a lot of them. The bank guy will also go where the cash is and their are few or them and a different way to get the money. And who does the cop see? You can call them by any name you wish but a rose is a rose so to speak. Keating was as big a crook as the Brinks guys. In fact Keating put a lot of old people in a retirement fix where as Insure ce company came in and fixed the mess at Brinks so no one was seemed to have been hurt or the results was spread out more. I think a man from Yale (??Milgrame I think) did a lot of study on just what percent of people will not do things because they are wrong and then not because they may get caught and then the ones who will any thing they please. First I think they thought it was just that college test were usually done on middle class college students but I think he found it was a general thing through out all societies. He graded them and the 'will not do because it was wrong' were the few. Most do not do things because 'they may get caught'. Would think education would fix into this very well.

[Asgaya Dihi]

10. Prison fed poverty

We all know that poverty isn't colorblind and that single parent households and other aspects are sometimes less able to provide but we don't look often enough at what might cause it. One black man in eight between the ages of twenty-five and twenty-nine is currently behind bars, either prison or jail. Many were parents and many took care of elderly parents. Some were in school or would like to have been but not now with no aid on a drug conviction.

I think we're causing more of our own problems than we think. Consider the numbers at this site for a bit and realize that this is just those in right now, it doesn't even include those who have already been in and out. http://www.prisonsucks.com

It's like that mostly due to three strike laws and mandatory minimums. In the places where we tend to live it's less crowded so more space between safe school zones but where they live it's not only covered by overlapping safe school zones but enforced with a zeal you won't find on Wall Street or other crowded places with plenty of use. Our laws and unfair enforcement are responsible for more poverty than any other single cause I can think of.