American Violence and Public Policy

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Twelve scholars, mainly from the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, reassess violent crime in the US and public policy responses. They reveal that individual violent crime rates—murder, assault, rape, and robbery—have surged, surpassing those of other industrialized nations, despite a costly 15-year "war on crime" that has significantly increased the prison population, aligning the US with the most "prison happy" countries. While "collective violence," or inner-city riots, has diminished, it has been replaced by random street crime, described as a form of "slow rioting." Additionally, international terrorism poses an increasing threat, mainly targeting Americans abroad. The experts argue that current approaches, focused on funding the criminal justice system and expanding prisons, are ineffective, as deterrence does not work. They emphasize the need to address the root causes of poverty and powerlessness among the underclass, the breakdown of family and community support, and the societal legitimization of violence. Both liberal welfare and conservative law-and-order strategies have failed. They advocate for greater citizen involvement in crime prevention through neighborhood organizations, fostering extended family support systems and creating job opportunities for youth.