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TheLifeofHardKnocks

Imagineaworldwherecrimeescalatedatalarmingrates.Notjustforamonth,orayear,
butoverthespanofapproximatelythirtyyears,andthensome.Imagineyourelivinginthe
slumsduringthe1960stothe1990s.Youshrugatthesoundofgunshotsringinginyourears.
Homicides,theft,andmurderwereacommondailyoccurrence.Whatofthegovernment,would
theynottrytointervene?Petty,almostuselessattemptsweremade,withcrimecontinuingto
escalate,unfazed.Atthispoint,thegovernmenteitherwaspointingfingersatthepossiblecauses
ofcrime,suchasthepoor,youth,outofcontrolsellingoffirearms,anddrugabuse,orraising
theirhandsinsurrender.Itmustberathereasytoimagine,consideringitistherealworld.There
isanobviousproblem,whichtheauthorofthebook,TheRichGetRicher,thePoorGetPrison,
JefferyReimanaddressesinchapterone,followedbymycritiquesofhisresponses.
ThefirstmainpointaddresseswhattheU.S.governmenthasdoneinregardstothe
increasingcrimerates.July23,1965PresidentJohnsonsignedandexecutiveorder(2)to
investigatethecausesandnatureofcrime,tocollectexistingknowledgeaboutourcriminal
justicesystem,andtomakerecommendationsabouthowthesystemmightbettermeetthe
challengeofcrimeinafreesociety(1).Asaresult,thegovernmentspentmorethanfour
billiondollarsannuallyatthenational,state,andlocallevelstopayforpolice,courts,and
correctionalfacilities.Sincethen,theauthoralsostatedtherehavebeennoprofoundchangesin
thecriminaljusticepolicysincetheorderhadtakenplaceinalmost30yearsthereportwas
issued.Inaddition,theindexcrimesactuallygrewfrom4,710,000in1965to13,867,143in
1993(3).Notingtheinefficiencyatthegovernmentsattempts,Reimanproceededtolistfour


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excusesfortheirfailuretoreducecrime.Thefirstexcuseispopularlyviewedbylaypersonsand
conservativecriticsofthecriminaljusticepolicy,thatbeingtheU.S.istoosoftinregardsto
thepunishmentcrime.Contrarily,theU.S.isconsideredbytheauthorharsherthantheother
modernindustrialnations,andhavegottenstrikinglyharsherinrecentyearswithlittleeffecton
crimerate.Theevidenceisshownin199293,wheretherateofincarceration(atleastinjails
andprisons)was519per100,000inthenationalpopulation.Duringthesameperiod,theratefor
EnglandandWhaleswas93per100,000(4).Also,accordingtotheauthor,afactortothehigh
U.S.incarceratingrateincomparisontotheothercountriesisduetotheU.S.criminalizingacts
suchasprostitution,unliketheothers.Thesecondexcusemadeiscrimeissimplyacostof
modernlife.Crimeisaninescapablecompanionofanycomplex,populous,industrialized
society.TheauthorquicklydispelsthisexcusewithJapanasanexample.In1993,therewere
1.883.504knowncriminaloffenses(approximately1500offensesforevery100,000
inhabitants).ComparethattoNewYorkCityin1993,wherethecrimeratewas5,670amonga
populationof8,600,000(5).Thethirdexcuse:blameitonthekids.Youngpeopleinsociety,
especiallymales,findthemselvesemergingfromthesecurityofchildhoodintothefrightening
chaosofadultresponsibility.Asaresult,youngstersbothmimicthepowerofmanhoodand
attackthesocietythatfrightensandignoresthembyresortingtoviolentcrime.Atthetimethis
waswritten,crimeratesgrewfasterthaneithertheabsolutenumberofyoungpeopleorthe
percentageofthepopulation,disprovingtheexcuse.Forexample,thecrimeratein1970was
2,741(per100,000persons)with15.1%ofthepopulationbeingbetweentheagesof14and24.
Comparedto1990,wherethecrimeratejumpedto5,820with16.1%ofthepopulationbetween
ages14and24(6).Theauthordoesntdenythatalargenumberofcrimesarecommittedby


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youngpeople,however,thereisstillnobasisfortreatingcrimeastheinevitableresultof
youth.Atlast,thereisthefourthexcuse:justdontknowwhattodo.Novemberof1993,theUS
Senatepassedafederalcrimebill(7).Thebillproposedformoreprisons,longersentences,
morecops,andnothingforcrimeprevention.CriminologistAlfredBlumsteinofCarnegie
MellonUniversitystates:TherewasarecentactionbyaHouseJudiciarysubcommitteeona
proposalthat1percentofthecrimebillmoneybeallocatedtoresearchtoatleaststarttofind
outwhattheeffectsofavarietyofthingswereadvocatingwouldhaveoncrime.Thereseemsto
beadeterminedviewthateventhoughwedontknow,donttellusTheauthorpointsthatit
doesntsayanywherewecantreducecrime.Therefore,heconcludeshowtheU.S.needsto
learnaboutthecausesofcrime,ratherthanthesources.
Letstakealookatthefallaciesforamoment.Afterthefirstexcuse,Reimanfailsto
mentionexactlywhoismakingtheexcuses.Isitthegovernment,orisitthesametwogroupsof
peoplementionedinthebeginningofthefirstexcuse?Speakingofexcuses,hementionshowthe
governmentblamesthekids.Theevidencedoesprovethereisasmalllinkbetweenyoung
personsandcrime,whichtheauthordoesnotdeny.However,becauseitprovesthereisa
connection,theargumentcancelsitselfout.Onanothernote,amongallofthefactsReiman
presentscounteringtheexcuses,Ilikehowhereintroducesthegovernmentsactionintothe
excuses.Thecasebehindthefourthexcuseisespeciallystrengthenedwiththeauthornotingthe
pettyattemptstheSenatemadetofightcrime.
Followingupontheknownsourcesofcrime,theauthoraddressesafewasthesecond
mainpoint.Atthetopofthelistispoverty/unemployment.Thatpovertyisasourceofcrimeis
notrefutedbythelargeandgrowingamountofwhitecollarcrimeInfact,povertycontributes


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tocrimebycreatingneed,whileattheotherendofthespectrumwealthcancontributetocrime
byunleashinggreed.UnemploymentwasworsenedbytheReagenadministrationspolicies.
AccordingtoastudybyUrbanInstitute,Reaganadministrationspoliciesarenotonlyaiding
upperincomefamiliesattheexpenseoftheworkingpoor,butalsoarewideningthegulf
betweenaffluentandpoorerregionsofthecountry.Anothersourceofcrimearefirearms,which
areaseasilyaccessibleasacandybar.Inresponse,PresidentClintonsignedtheBradyBill
in1993thatimposedafivedaywaitingperiodforgunpurchases(8),toenablecheckstosee
whetherwouldbegunpurchasershavecriminalrecordswithnosanctionsforstatesthatdont
comply.DrugabuseisthefinalsourceofcrimeintheU.S.listedbytheauthor.Addicts,once
deprived,experienceanextremephysicalneedforthedrug.Wheremostdonothavehigh
payingjobs,theywillbedrivenbythephysicalneedtorobinordertogetthemoneyneededfor
drugs.Theclaimistheillegalityofcertaindrugsplacesaddictsinsituationsinwhichtheymust
engageintheftcontinually,andatahighleveltokeepastepaheadofthepainsofwithdrawal.
Thecrimeresultingfromextremepovertyandextremewealthrelatestowhattheclass
hasgoneover,especiallyinregardstocrimemadebyextremewealth.Startingwithchapter
threefromthebook,TheDemocraticDebate,weseethecrimesmadebylargeconglomerates
almostcompletelyignored.OneexampleisEnron.Notonlydidtheycreatephonyoffshore
subsidiariesthatwereusedtohidedebtandinflateprofits(9),theyalsomanipulatedtheenergy
crisis,costingtheconsumersbillionsofdollars.Whatwasthegovernmentsresponse?
CongresspassedtheSarbanesOxleyAct,whichreformedcorporateaccountingpractices.The
falsesubsidiarieswereeventuallyfoundout,resultinginEnronsstockpricestocrash.Good
riddance.


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Thefinalmainpointtheauthormakesinthechapterishowcrimecouldactuallyservea
purposeinsociety.HeelaboratesusinganexcerptfromEmileDurkheimsbook,TheDivisionof
LaborinSociety:thatcrimemayactuallyperformaneededservicetosocietybydrawing
peopletogetherinacommonpostureofangerandindignation.Thedeviantindividualviolates
therulesofconductandwhenthepeoplecometogethertoexpressoutrageovertheoffense
andtobearwitnessagainsttheoffender,theydevelopatighterbondofsolidaritythanexisted
earlier.ReimanlaterclarifieshowhisviewslightlydiffersfromDurkheim.Durkheimassumes
everyoneautomaticallysharethesimilarbeliefs,andtherefore,thefeelingsofsocialsolidarity.
Reiman,however,believesthefailuretostampoutdeviancedoesnotsimplyreinforcea
consensusthatalreadyexists;itispartoftheprocessbywhichaveryparticularconsensusis
created.
ItiswiththefinalpointwhereReinanconcludeshiscase.Idoagreethatcrimecould
serveapurposeinsocietybyunitingthepeoplethroughacommondeviant.Anexampleis
fromanindievideothegovernmentclassandIrecentlywatched,titledThisIsWhatDemocracy
LooksLike.ThepeopleofWashingtonState,andallovertheworldwereprotestingtheirlackof
voiceinthemeetingoftheWorldTradeOrganizationSummit,whichexcludedanysources
outsideofCEOsofmajorcorporations.
Reinansoverallpointofviewonthewaroncrimeisthewarisultimatelyunavoidable.
Thecriminaljusticesystemhasbeenprovenuseless,withtheirmeaslyattemptstosimplythrow
morepeopleinjailandprison,andputmorelawenforcersonthestreet.Crimehasrisenand
fallen(nothankstothecriminaljusticesystem,rather,theagingbabyboomers).Theauthorhas
listedalternativeoptionstohelpreducecrimerates,suchasstricterguncontrolanddecrease


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povertyrates.Withcrimeremainingunaffected,theviewthatweactuallyneedcrimetogiveusa
causetobecomeunitedremains.

SourcesCited
1. Reiman, Jeffery. Chapter 1: Crime Control In America: Nothing
Succeeds Like Failure. The Rich Get Richer and The Poor Get Prison.
5th ed. New York: Wiley, 1979. N. pag. Print.
2. "Executive Orders Disposition Tables." National Archives and Records
Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://www.archives.gov/federalregister/executive-orders/1965.html>.
3. FBI UCS Annual Crime Reports. "United States Crime Rates 1960 2013." United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2013. DisasterCenter.com,
n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.html
4. Maur, Marc. "Americans Behind Bars:." The International Use of
Incarceration,. N.p., Sept. 1994. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/other/sp/abb.htm
5. UCR-1995 pp.79-105


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6. UCR-1990, pp 50, UCR-1970, pp 65
7. Civic Impulse, LLC. "Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of
1994 (1994 - H.R. 3355)." GovTrack.us. THOMAS.gov, 2004. Web. 23
Nov. 2014. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/103/hr3355
8. "Brady Law." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica,
2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1523069/Brady-Law>.
9. Miroff, Bruce. "Chapter 3: The American Political Economy." The
Democratic Debate: American Politics in an Age of Change. 5th ed.
Australia: Cengage/Wadsworth, 2010. N. pag. Print.