JUST DESSERTS – CRIME & ROOSTING CHICKENS

We can all relate to memories of a movie or television show that we actually felt less intelligent for having watched it. This was initially true when I first saw the 1998 slapstick comedy movie by Adam Sandler, WaterBoy, where Bobby Boucher (played by Sandler) unleashes a volley of adages that originated from his Mama (Mama says). After a continued and countless number of personal viewings since this movie’s debut, I can relate to many of Mama’s adages as hitting the nail on the head. And the one of; “The chickens are coming home to roost,” is one of my favorites, and has certainly been heard by many of us over the decades,

In putting the above terms into a proper perspective in the criminal justice field, many would use the term “Just Desserts” and leave the barn-yard birds completely out of the picture. In summary, farmers and criminologists may use different verbiage but the simple definition of “one getting what one deserves (especially for bad behavior)” can be the meaning for both. Whether we use desserts or chickens, their common conclusion is now very apparent; bad policies result in unfavorable outcomes.

Finding a balance in the criminal justice system is one of the most challenging endeavors of modern history. Many issues are continually debated, such as: do we over or under-incarcerate, are our laws too restrictive, whether we are too harsh on juvenile and drug offenders, do we increase funding or defund law enforcement agencies and should we decriminalize more offenses? These are all forerunners relating to policing our country. Therefore, leaving many perplexed with the outcome of recent decisions regarding these topics. Now, let’s take a peek at what direction the pendulum has been swinging over the past five years and the results they are producing.

One who knows this writer can attest to the fact that I am very supportive but can be critical of the law enforcement profession, and very in-tune with the state of our nation relating to criminal justice matters. Law enforcement reform needs to be perpetual, encompassing professional police practices across the board and emphasizing on constantly improving relations with their bosses (the general public). I also find it despicable and disappointing when viewing the damage that some of our recent and current politicians have inflicted on America’s criminal justice system. Some of these failed public policymakers want to shove off our country’s crime problems either onto the laps of our policing agencies, or into a remote closet when in fact them and their policies are the main culprits for these disparities.

In a snapshot, large defunding movements and ultra-liberal criminal punishments have led us down a disastrous path. Just recently, the city of Washington D.C. has experienced a large uptick in juvenile homicides and violent crime rates. The once beautiful and prosperous cities of San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Austin are seeing huge spikes in homelessness and sanctuary-seeking individuals, which is overwhelming their cities, along with high crime rates and slow police response times elevated. Large corporations and businesses are also fleeing many of these cities in search of a more attractive environment that can help their entities flourish, not disintegrate. Demographic boundaries are not applicable here, with the Midwest also being greatly affected. The state of Missouri has many things to brag about, but having three of the top 10 most dangerous cities per capita in America is not one of them. The city of St Louis is the leader of the Missouri woes, with gang violence and homicides plaguing them. And let’s not leave out the overabundance of homicides, shootings and gang violence overtaking Chicago.

The theory that excessive enforcement, and extensive and unjust incarcerations at the end of the 20th Century did have a negative effect on America’s criminal justice system is fair, but a rectification of these activities was soon sought out, and a balancing act began. Crime rates and incarceration numbers were decreasing, all while criminal justice reform continued, but within the past 10-years extremism has raised its ugly head. Since, our drug laws have become more liberal, defund policing initiatives are pronounced, and a major failure by some policymakers is having a deep impact on America’s crime issues. Recently, communities are realizing the adverse effects of some of these ridiculous policies and are accelerating efforts to reverse them. The sad news here is that some of these cities and their policymakers continue enabling these destructive initiatives, while their citizens and visitors suffer the adverse consequences.

The ever-swinging pendulum of the criminal justice system is beginning to veer away from these destructive concepts but as Mama Boucher says; “The Chickens have come home to roost,” and many are paying the consequences. A tasty dessert it certainly is not!