Send criminals to jail for longer to fight crime – SA Police Service

rpm

rpm

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Send criminals to jail for longer to fight crime – SA Police Service

The spike in crime in South Africa means prisons have run out of space, and the Department of Correctional Services now wants lighter sentences for some criminals.

The South African Police Service (SAPS), however, does not support this plan and wants criminals to serve longer sentences.

According to the report the SAPS feels that the poor conditions in South African jails can serve as a deterrent to criminals.

It added that more lenient sentences will make it even more challenging to fight crime in the country.
 
Zoomzoom

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I honestly despair. The solution to crime has never been punitive punishment - the solution is visible and effective policing. No-one ever has stopped doing something wrong because you were afraid of the punishment, you stop because you are afraid of being caught.

What's the first thing any self-respecting cookie jar raiding criminal does? You look around to see if someone is watching i.e. will you get caught with your hand in the jar or not. You don't think for one moment - OMG I will be beaten or locked in my room with bread and water for a week - no the first thought is always 'what are the chances of being caught?'

Doesn't matter what the crime is, the primary 'let's do it' motivator is a sense of security - that you won't get caught doing it. The more certain you are that the risk of being caught is too great, the less likely you are to try.

So Mr Policeman - get off your fat butt and get out there and do your job!
 
T

Techne

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Zoomzoom said:
I honestly despair. The solution to crime has never been punitive punishment - the solution is visible and effective policing. No-one ever has stopped doing something wrong because you were afraid of the punishment, you stop because you are afraid of being caught.

What's the first thing any self-respecting cookie jar raiding criminal does? You look around to see if someone is watching i.e. will you get caught with your hand in the jar or not. You don't think for one moment - OMG I will be beaten or locked in my room with bread and water for a week - no the first thought is always 'what are the chances of being caught?'

Doesn't matter what the crime is, the primary 'let's do it' motivator is a sense of security - that you won't get caught doing it. The more certain you are that the risk of being caught is too great, the less likely you are to try.

So Mr Policeman - get off your fat butt and get out there and do your job!
Click to expand...
Oh really. Well in that case all we need is a good catch and release police force.
 
supersunbird

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Zoomzoom said:
I honestly despair. The solution to crime has never been punitive punishment - the solution is visible and effective policing. No-one ever has stopped doing something wrong because you were afraid of the punishment, you stop because you are afraid of being caught.

What's the first thing any self-respecting cookie jar raiding criminal does? You look around to see if someone is watching i.e. will you get caught with your hand in the jar or not. You don't think for one moment - OMG I will be beaten or locked in my room with bread and water for a week - no the first thought is always 'what are the chances of being caught?'

Doesn't matter what the crime is, the primary 'let's do it' motivator is a sense of security - that you won't get caught doing it. The more certain you are that the risk of being caught is too great, the less likely you are to try.

So Mr Policeman - get off your fat butt and get out there and do your job!
Click to expand...

Agree, visible policing, but those that are caught for serious crimes do need to be in jail for a longer time. That murdering post office worker should still have been in jail for his previous serious crime.
 
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saturnz

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Zoomzoom said:
I honestly despair. The solution to crime has never been punitive punishment - the solution is visible and effective policing.
Click to expand...

Or simply change the laws which make normal people criminals and put criminals in positions of power.
 
ECHLN

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The best jails with the least repeat offenders, focus on rehabilitation. Most of them being from Europe. Though I think that's the way to go, that won't work here. The issue of crime is very deep rooted.
 
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Many are those that live their lives according to only one commandment (aka as the 11'th commandment) - where that (11'th) commandment be "thou shalt not get caught".
 
mercurial

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Try any crap in Saudi Arabia and off with a hand or foot. Fokkol crime in that regard.
 
U

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Zoomzoom said:
I honestly despair. The solution to crime has never been punitive punishment - the solution is visible and effective policing. No-one ever has stopped doing something wrong because you were afraid of the punishment, you stop because you are afraid of being caught.

What's the first thing any self-respecting cookie jar raiding criminal does? You look around to see if someone is watching i.e. will you get caught with your hand in the jar or not. You don't think for one moment - OMG I will be beaten or locked in my room with bread and water for a week - no the first thought is always 'what are the chances of being caught?'

Doesn't matter what the crime is, the primary 'let's do it' motivator is a sense of security - that you won't get caught doing it. The more certain you are that the risk of being caught is too great, the less likely you are to try.

So Mr Policeman - get off your fat butt and get out there and do your job!
Click to expand...
Agree with all but the last sentence- it’s not necessary.

You make an interesting observation which I had actually not thought about. It’s like with speeding fines- I know they are expensive, but that alone doesn’t necessarily make me slow down. But when I know an area has a lot of cameras, I tend to automatically slow down.
So police presence could be the answer to crime.
 
MachoPants

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Zoomzoom

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Ponderer said:
Game, set and match - stupid/naive opinion destroyed.
Click to expand...

So when you thought about stealing a cookie ... did you ...


a. consider the consequences?

OR

b. do it when the likelihood of being caught is small?

Think hard.


Scenario 2 ...

Rate this man's actions -

A. He spent a long time looking to see if he was being observed before stealing when he thought no-one was watching.

B. He thought long and hard about what would happen after he was caught and didn't steal?

 
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