Anderson, David C. "The Mystery of the Falling Crime Rate." American Prospect May/June 1997: 49-55. SIRS Researcher. Web. 11 April 2010
This article took a little different approach to the subject of crime and punishment. One, it explores causes behind falling crime rate. Anderson takes what the liberals and conservatives have to say and talks a lot about cost-effective crime prevention and street smart intervention. One of street smart intervention is investing more in lower courts, probation departments, and early alternatives. Why? "There is a broad agreement that much crime might be averted if courts were able to intervene with offenders more meaningfully after the first or second minor offense, rather than waiting for them to commit more serious crimes" (Anderson). That's just one example of one of Anderson's ideas. In addition, under the cost effective crime prevention section, the argument that incarceration and rehabilitation work together right now to prevent crime is debunked. Criminals are locked up, but they get out eventually. "And given the lack of rehabilitation resoundingly documented by recidivism studies over the years, most of those coming out can be expected to commit new crimes at similar rates" (Anderson). That right there shows a need for rehabilitation. Because of the lack of it, crimes are still occuring because there's the possibility that the criminal didn't receive help. More than ever, we need the punishment AND rehabilitation option. But never the death penalty. That won't solve anything.
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