1971/09/01 by Daniel L. Skoler · 5 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Computer science #Control (management) #Conviction #Crime Patterns and Interventions #Crime control #Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis #Criminal justice #Criminology #Economics #Imprisonment #Law #Leverage (statistics) #Management #Political science #Prison #Psychology #Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending #Punitive damages
paper · doi:10.1177/000271627139700105
published in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 397(1), 28-39 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 1971/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
In addressing today's difficult crime control problems, the focus should not be on a set of "tough" or "soft" prescriptions but rather on crime control that works. Indeed, serious question exists about the nation's capacity and re sources, even if we so desired, to achieve "tough crime control" in significant degree—that is, to substantially increase ap prehension and conviction rates and intensify the severity and length of sentences and imprisonment. It appears also that the most critical leverage point for crime reduction may lie in the correction of offenders and redirection of repeaters away from criminal behavior. Here, the "tough" or punitive ap proach is a high-cost, low-yield alternative. It offers much less potential than the "softer" regime of training, education, job placement, counseling, and community reacceptance, designed to equip offenders for a productive, law-observing role in the society to which virtually all will return.