Should Youth Be Jailed for Non-Violent Crimes?
There are polarized views regarding non-violent crime in principle, but a more peaceful solution is increasingly being expressed for young people. The central thesis of the chairman of the Government Council for developing recommendations on the imposition of criminal penalties in the courts of England and Wales, Andrew Ashworth, is that non-violent crimes should not be punished by prison. In support of his thesis, the chairman cites numerous arguments, including those of a criminological nature. In particular, the lack of reliable empirical data on the correlation between the level of crime and the severity of sanctions (Huebner et al., 2020). Incarceration will always be too harsh and a disproportionate response to non-violent attitudes on the part of young people, because a prison as an institution can be the reason of psychological and physical dangers, which in the context of young people is detrimental to education and health (Carter et al., 2018). At the same time, an integrated approach should also be used, depending on the quality and type of crime committed.
A complete absence of violence is possible in so-called property crimes, as well as fraud, drug interactions, and cybercrimes. In contrast to deprivation of liberty, more effective ways will be individual punishment for young people, coupled with help and attempts to get the offender out of the current situation. In the case of drug crimes, assistance may be in the form of medical examinations and treatment; in the case of crimes against property, community service, and educational talks can be the solution. Increased control over teenagers and older people will, in any case, be carried out; however, the chance or possibility of correction is a much healthier practice for public life in general, in contrast to deprivation of freedom even for a minimum period. Therefore, young people should not be imprisoned for non-violent crimes.
References
Carter, P. M., Dora-Laskey, A. D., Goldstick, J. E., Heinze, J. E., Walton, M. A., Zimmerman, M. A. & Cunningham, R. M. (2018). Arrests among high-risk youth following emergency department treatment for an assault injury. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 55(6), 812-821.
Huebner, B. M., Lentz, T. S., & Gibson, M. (2020). Systematic case review strategies: An application for jail population reduction. Justice Quarterly, 37(7), 1261-1276.