Stop Reducing Felony Charges And There Could Be Less Violent Crime
Tuesday, June 10, 2014 - 19:00
in Psychology & Sociology
Why do so many criminals convicted of misdemeanors then get involved in violent crime? It turns out that in many cases it's because they weren't misdemeanors at all, they were felony crimes that were reduced during plea bargaining. And that policy, according to an article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, leads to more violent crimes that could be prevented. The small, preliminary study re-analyzed data on 787 individuals under age 35 who had violent misdemeanor convictions and purchased handguns in California in 1989 or 1990. The goal was to assess the impact of reduced criminal charges on gun purchases and subsequent crime. read more