Deterrence suggests that, through raising penalties, sentences or punishments, individuals will be less likely to engage in criminal behavior. Proponents of this recommendation have attributed this logic to introducing or maintaining the death penalty for capital crimes in states throughout the country. Results of deterrence or its effectiveness are by no means entirely clear. For instance, Death Penalty Information Center presents figures ranging from 1990 through 2009 that compare murder rates in states with the death penalty against those without. In every single case year, the states without the death penalty experienced the lower murder rate.
This approach or recommendation suggests a proactive stance in preparing ex-convicts for re-entering society. This includes the use of halfway houses, probation services, educational opportunities and job placement help among other things. In this way, the former criminal can find credible alternatives to crime upon release through a steady income and responsibility. The big problem issue here are rates of recidivism (returning to jail after release). Due to the violence found in prison confinement and poor rehabilitation, many criminals, particularly those engaged in weightier offenses, end up returning to a life of criminal activity. In a 2011, California claimed a recidivism or re-entry rate around 60 percent.
An education-centered recommendation for crime reduction focuses on learning programs and instruction that occurs primarily within the correctional institution. This position suggests that this not only prepares inmates better for reentry but also may amplify their ultimate wage earning potential once released. A study initiated by the Evaluation Research Group at the University of Maryland during the 2000s focused on three state case studies: Ohio, Maryland and Minnesota. The study showed that general recidivism rates were lower for those who had participated in their education program then for nonparticipants.
Advocates for a stress reduction approach cite that methods like prison-building, deterrence and surges in law enforcement personnel do not work. Groups like the Natural Law Party want to focus on relieving the stresses they believe precipitate crime and render these other tactics defunct. Issues like poverty and the psychological stresses of society and urban environments make avoiding criminal behavior more difficult in this view. Instead, through better psychological services, community involvement in policing efforts, poverty alleviation and urban planning, crime rates will decrease accordingly.