Blog : Can tougher laws reduce crimes?

4113 posts
1/7/2007 1:46 am

Last Read:
2/22/2007 11:45 am

Can tougher laws reduce crimes?

USA has the highest number of prisoners in the world, followed by Russia, South Africa, Poland and England. The ranking is based on the number of prisoners per 100,000 population. US currently has more than 2.1 millions prisoners and spending more than 35 billions in the prison system. Can this number of crimes be reduced by tougher laws? Many people believes that tougher laws can serve as a deterrence for crimes. People will think twice before committing serious crime, as most serious crimes in Asia, in the form of death or life sentence. In the western world, it may be only a few years in prison. Then, how do we determine what is a fair punishment? How can we apply the capital punishment based on different cultures and value? Can one country dictate and influence its own judicial system over other country? The answer properly not. As some of you may recall, about 10 years ago, the American get canned and there were out cry about the canning as inhumane. But interestingly, there was a poll in the USA, over 50% respondents supported the canning, they believed tougher laws can help to reduce crimes. Test of your knowledge: Imagine if you possess 30 grams of heroin in Singapore, do you know what will happen to you ? What is your view on toughening the laws in the US or your own country, will it help to reduce the crime rate?
	1. Yes it will reduce significantly, a safer place to stay
	2. May be, it may reduce to a certain degree.
	3. No, It won't be affected.
	4. Not sure, I am not a criminal expert.
	5. Other, please share your view

touch213 70M

1/7/2007 7:02 am

some of the laws need to be reviewed.. Period..

I could probably name a few.. for starts.. but people would probably not ingest it with intellect, they'd maybe favor emotionalism.. and not venture the prespective..

so I will .. say.. " some " of the laws need to be reviewed.. ( for many reasons)

who4broken_pizza 107F

1/7/2007 8:41 am

由于各国的社会历史、宗教信仰、人文价值观和道德习俗的不同，及所处的人类文明程度的不同发展阶段，作为这些因素综合体现的法律体系也就千差万别，仅对犯罪的界定、处罚的措施、量刑的级别规定就极其复杂。因不谙司法领域，所以也无法说的清楚。但身边的例子也能为我们提供一些借鉴。

在新加坡工作时，曾发生一例案件: 一中国男生因签证过期后没有及时续签，持续逗留于新加坡，时间不很长，据说大约半年左右。当他离境时被官方发现，不得不接受了鞭刑的惩罚。新加坡的法律相当严，如果是有关毒品的案件，应该是重重之案，所受的惩罚也是重重之重。

现在在中国非法居留的外国人很多。前段时间有些地方在查处清理，处罚措施或遣返回国，或补办手续等。与新加坡相比，我们的惩罚措施似乎软性化了很多。

在英国时，我的医生就给我讲述一些事情，有关非洲女孩在英国生活，要求英国医生为其做成人切除术，结果英国医生拒绝了，因为在英国那样做是违法的。

同样是中国的巨款贪污犯，获得的刑法不同，也体现了各国的司法体系的差别。

广东省发展银行韶关分行原行长官有仁贪污公款2176万元，2001年12月14日，经韶关市检察院提起公诉，韶关市中级法院一审以贪污罪判处官有仁死刑。

中国与美国之间没有引渡条约。在中国保证不判处死刑的情况下，美国依据2001年11月双方签署的《中美刑事司法协助协定》，于2004年4月将外逃贪官、中国银行广东开平支行原行长余振东移交给了中国警方。余振东涉嫌贪污公款8247万美元，于2001年经香港逃往加拿大，后又进入美国。广东省江门市中级人民法院一审判处余振东有期徒刑12年，没收其个人财产100万元。

但无论怎样，中国现在的法律很不健全，执行力度不够，权大于法的现象有所改善，但仍很严重。要建立完整健全的法律体系，中国任重而道远。

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Hi Wild,

Sorry,I don't write in english about this post,as it would take me more time to do it,I am not good at dealing with this area in both English and Chinese,wish you not mind,but I think I may write some things here.

mishmash
(Ness ) 50F

1/7/2007 3:57 pm

Well I'm not 100% sure about this so excuse me if facts a little quirky but my recollection of the majority of the prison population in the US is mainly made up of poor, minority ethnic groups. Maybe this says more about social deprevation than it does about law.

Having worked with prisoners in the past I came up against a phrase which I would hear many times: 'they can't take take what I ain't got'
Some of the guys I worked with saw prison as the one solid things in their lives. Without it they were lost. If you have little education, almost minus job prospect and a life consisting of moving from one place to another, making associates and dropping others, a little prison time is just another thing you do. For some it's a relief to be there.
I remember one guy, very clearly, and for him prison was free food and a bed. Each time he got out he looked fit and healthy in comparison to where he'd been before and he worked hard to get locked up again.

I must point out the guys I worked with would be considered petty criminals or low risk.

Laws do need to be looked at both here in the UK and and in the US but I don't think you can say that by changing the law you fix the problem. Your just sticking a bandaid over over something much deeper than that. We need to address our societies as a whole, evening out the imbalances and addressing the issues which lead people into crime in the first place.

I consider myself a liberal person but even I believe there are crimes out there which, are beyond understanding or rehabilitation in which case what do you do?

who4broken_pizza 107F

1/8/2007 1:25 am

Tougher law probably may not reduce the rate of crimes,I think,but prevent the subconscious of crimes of people with potential criminalities from developing on some extent,but it will depends on how the definition of the crime are made and how much free space is left for every kind of people's behavior under the laws.

Looking back to China,the rate of crimes have increased significantly comparing to early Chairman Mao period,which the public security was that no one picks up pockets anything lost on the road and no needs for locking your door when you leave home all the time.But it doesn't show our present laws are much looser than before ( if non-consideration for the areas without legislations ),such as the penalty of death has been a being in our laws.

Even the most toughest laws couldn't eradicate crime. The decrease of crime may be built upon many factors, i.e. the stage of our society development, lawmaking for new things appearing, and the impact of moral and values on people and the society...

TopGent2
(Roger F) 73M

1334 posts
1/8/2007 11:42 am

Laws are no good if detection and tough punishments are not in line. The laws are there already but the chances of getting caught are very low so there is very little risk and even if caught, the 'punishments' are far too soft.
Easy answer - spend the money at the front end - far more detection so increasing greatly the risk of getting caught - that is the true deterant. Then on top of that, make the punishments severe.
I may sound hard, but the ordinary people that say and do nothing will always be those who suffer from crime. We elect governments to deal with these problems and they continuously do little or nothing.
TG