Hearts and Hands
Creating Community in Violent Times
by Luis Rodriguez Many of today's youths are not being raised by today's adults. So they raise each other- in gangs. Despite the facts that the majority of gang members are nonviolent and that they are most in need of services, society exacts harsh penalties for mere membership in gangs. Some states have laws holding guilty any people in a car for crimes committed by other people in that car. That means that if someone is in the car doing his best to dissuade another from shooting, or merely unaware that the other has a gun, and the other shoots someone, then the passenger may be facing more than 20 years in jail. Jails are increasingly privatized. The contract is given to whomever can a run a jail the most cheaply, meaning that jails are becoming less rehabilitative and more deadly. Once out of jail, it is very hard for the convict to find anyone willing to hire him. Gangs trying to make peace with each other are often targetted by the police.
These and many other offences against youths are cited by Rodriguez. He also speaks of the abilities and untapped talents of the youth, and what adults should do to bring out the best in the youth. He cites his own experiences as a youth, a parent, a lecturer, and a poet. Notes are included. A bibliography would have been useful, but is not included.
Question: How effective are punishments in the prevention of crime? How effective is the escalation of punishment?
Inspirational reading.
