In the chapter "Crime and Punishment" (429-443 in McQuilken and
Copan), various alternatives to prison are presented, and a short section
deals with "Christian Responsibility for Criminal Justice." Consider the
ideas presented in these sections specifically in light of the USA's
continuing battle with illegal drug use. Consider the different possibilities
and Christian responses in this chapter, and defend, in your initial post, a
possible way to deal with minor drug offences that might be more
effective than jail terms. You may want to do some internet searching on
the matter as well--and if so, include the sources at the bottom of your
initial thread. Four Hundred words--minimum (be sure to include the word
count)
3
3333333333333 This week’s discussion topic is one that is very familiar to me.
During my time spent in law enforcement over the past decade, I have
pondered extensively the effectiveness and legitimacy of the current
penal system in the United States, and have come to agree with McQuilkin
and Copan’s conclusion that “Surely a society with creativity sufficient to
put a person on the moon need not settle for a failed system of
punishment here on earth.”[1]3I definitely believe that there is room and a
need for penal system reform, but, unlike many reform advocates, think
we need to be sure not to throw out the proverbial baby with the bath
water
3333333333333 In considering this conversation for this post, specifically in light
of the continuing failure of the “War on Drugs” in the U.S., I was reminded
of numerous people that I have encountered over the years, both inside
and outside of law enforcement, who espouse the belief that simply
decriminalizing drugs would solve multiple issues: reduction of
overcrowding in prisons, reduction of crimes loosely affiliated with drugs,
slowing down the flow of people into the prison “schoolhouse in
crime,”[2]3and elimination of the appearance of racial bias in the criminal
justice system. While taking this action could result in reductions in some
of these areas, I believe that a change in the potential punishments would
be a more effective option.
3333333333333 The authors discussed several potential options for dealing with
minor, non-violent, offenses without jail time, specifically for first-time
offenders. Of those options listed, the on that makes the most sense to
me was one that they suggested primarily for juvenile offenders:
community service. However, I think that for first-time non-violent
offenders, specifically on minor drug offenses, being sentenced to serve
the local community, specifically serving the areas most typically harmed
by drug activity, would potentially open the eyes of these offenders to the
damage they could be causing.
3333333333333 Another option that I believe could be effective in reducing drug
crime, specifically with non-violent offenders, is that of addiction/mental
health treatment in lieu of jail time. There are many cities and states
which offer some type of treatment option in the form of drug court. While
the success rate has not been universal, many states have seen positive
results. One of these states is California which, since the institution of
specialized drug and mental health courts in the year 2000, has seen
them reduce incarceration rates by 85%, convictions rates by 77%, and
recidivism rates among participants by 85%. They further report a
substantial increase in the in the rates of employment among program
participants, with 70% at the end of the programs vs. only 40% employed
when they started them.[3]3These are very positive results which I believe
can be duplicated across the board by implementation of similar
programs.
3
[1]3Robert McQuilkin and Paul Copan, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics:
Walking in the Way of Wisdom (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2013), 437
[2]3Ibid.
[3]3“Sentencing Alternatives: Treatment Vs Incarceration for Drug
Offenders,” accessed October 5, 2020, https://irishealing.com/sentencing-
alternatives-treatment-vs-incarceration-for-drug-offenders/.
