America has the highest incarceration rates in the developed world. Most of those incarcerated fit into a narrow socioeconomic segment of the population and are being warehoused for non-violent offences. Why are we doing this to ourselves and what can be done to reverse this situation that always takes us to a place we don’t want to go?
Since most of this “problem” seems to afflict young members of the African-American community and to some degree other youth “of color” it is easy to attribute it to genetics and related historical artifacts. It turns out that is a “fractional” truth that “muddies the water” when it comes to seeing solutions with clarity, dignity, and equanimity.
This situation has nothing to do with skin color, language, or national origin except as it relates to the historical treatment of members of the human family who have happened to find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many Syrians today fit into that category.
So, what IS the solution? It is, as almost all social problems are, related to character and culture analysis and curative or enhancement efforts. First we need to define, in words, the desirable cultural and character attributes that will lead to productive and rewarding lives for the afflicted members of our population. And, make no mistake, these people may be both perpetrators and victims; but, mostly they are “not guilty” and are more realistically seen more as those being harmed rather than those harming others. If we can stop them from being harmed, they will desist from harming others.
Obviously there are no simple solutions to these social problems but programs like big brothers and sisters, family counseling and support systems for single parents will all move us in the right direction. We need to be compulsive about education and employment opportunities for youth. A few dollars spent in that direction will yield tax income instead of budget outlays in future years. They are not doles; they are an investment in our future.
In a “nutshell” the answers are wrapped up in character development and on a larger scale, culture development that is rooted in family enhancement. There are lots of institutions that can do these things. They need to be supported and assisted in doing this work that is critical to the success of the human family.
To Change Culture: (1) State the precept. (2) Explain why. (3) Set the example. Then (4) Use creative repetition.