A study gave cash and therapy to men at risk of criminal behavior. 10 years later, the results are i

[Javaman]

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23141405/violence-crime-cbt-therapy-cash-shootings

Liberia found a stunningly effective way to reduce violent crimes. Now the US is trying a similar experiment.

What if someone told you that you could dramatically reduce the crime rate without resorting to coercive policing or incarceration? In fact, what if they said you could avert a serious crime — a robbery, say, or maybe even a murder — just by shelling out $1.50?

That’s such an incredibly good deal that it sounds too good to be true. But it’s been borne out by the research of Chris Blattman, Margaret Sheridan, Julian Jamison, and Sebastian Chaskel. Their new study provides experimental evidence that offering at-risk men a few weeks of behavioral therapy plus a bit of cash reduces the future risk of crime and violence, even 10 years after the intervention.

Blattman, an economist at the University of Chicago, never intended to conduct this study. But in 2009, he was hanging out with an acquaintance in Liberia named Johnson Borh, who showed him around the capital city of Monrovia. Since Blattman studies crime and violence, Borh took him to visit the pickpockets, drug sellers, and others living on the margins of society.

Along the way, they kept running into guys who were sitting on street corners, eking out a meager living by shining shoes or selling clothes. When these men spotted Borh, they’d run to give him a hug. Blattman recalls that when he asked the men how they knew Borh, they’d say something like, “I used to be like them,” and point to the nearby pickpockets or drug sellers. “But then I went through Borh’s program.”

More at link…

It’s a great article.

[Joinfortmill]

1. Hope

[modrepub]

2. Even If It's Proven 100% Effective

Half the folks will complain that it's a government handout.

For that half, fine. Make the program a match and allow local communities to decide if they want to front money for a match. No state interference allowed. If a community wants to do this then it's their decision not some politician or politicians who do not represent them.

Keep control local, taxes local and more federal programs reliant on local matching money. You want to suffer for lack of effort or empathy fine, go wallow in your own mess and let those willing to help themselves actually help themselves.

[Maru Kitteh]

5. "If a community wants to do this then it's their decision not some politician"

That's what a democracy is. I fear we are losing, collectively, this understanding.

Communities hold elections to decide who will represent them. We must strengthen our democracy if we wish to keep it - not go around it. This must begin with the patterns of our own thoughts, I'm afraid.

[modrepub]

6. I'm Talking About State of Federal Legislatures

Of the 535 folks in Congress you get to vote for 3 of them. Same concept on the state level. How many Republican states have decided they will not take part in Federal programs because they are philosophically against big government.

If a local government unit wants to participate and is willing to front their money, then why should the state legislature make that decision for them?

[BWdem4life]

12. Government handouts are only for rich people and corporations. nt

[ZonkerHarris]

22. It has to be across the board. No letting states decide. That's why we have Medicare inequality

Red states will not do this.
Crime is what keeps their white voters on their side.

[whfinlay]

23. Medicare is the same for all states.

Medicare is the same for Red or Blue states. You maybe thinking of Medicaid where the individual states decide who is eligible.

[ZonkerHarris]

25. You are correct. I miss typed

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. Hyper-moralists versus Pragmatists. . . . nt

[Kid Berwyn]

3. Humane treatment of human beings.

Who knew?

It really is brilliant. Bet it would work here, Liberia’s motherland.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. Study after study after study after study finds the same thing, yet we refuse to go all in on it.

We know what decreases crime. It ain't cops or punishment or the strength of the carceral state.

[multigraincracker]

8. B. F. Skinner's evidence based theory has always worked.

Reward good behavior and ignore bad behavior. Based on powerful statistics for years and years. From rats to dogs to little kids to adults, it is how to change behavior.

[erronis]

10. Makes me wonder if the law-enforcement people actually want more crime...

Just like armies need enemies, or religions needs "sinners".

Keeps these unemployable types employed.

[Wounded Bear]

14. Ding! Ding! Ding!

Some of the biggest supporters of 3 Strikes laws around the country were police and corrections unions, along with the private prison industry. We're still suffering through the results of that boondoggle. Gotta keep the "clients" moving through the system.

[Maraya1969]

16. That's the words. Private prison industry. They are worried

About their bottom line. People to occupy their jails

I would hope Congress could enact a law making for profit prisons illegal. Or maybe make them pay large sums towards rehabilitation.


At least vote on it and see who votes “NO” And then ask then why???

[Wild blueberry]

7. Thank you

[gulliver]

9. Engagement, guidance, encouragement, support

All good things.

[The Jungle 1]

11. Years ago I read.

That you can also reduce crime by treating adult ADHD. Part of ADHD is bad decision making processes. They focus on what they need/want right now.

[liberalla]

13. Bookmarking

[Demovictory9]

17. me too

[chowder66]

15. Coping skills are seriously needed more than ever. I'm glad to see they are providing therapy

that seems to touch on this.

[dickthegrouch]

18. I've always thought a guaranteed minimum income would be preferable to the poverty of today

Many wars worldwide could be prevented. The money wasted on war could be put to such much better use.
The lives that would have been lost during any war could be re-purposed to non-violent service to their communities.
How much better off would we all be?

[Alice Kramden]

19. Absolutely -

A guaranteed basic income would help so many, and help our country so much.

[Alice Kramden]

20. I love this

The article says that they are trying it in Chicago - only unfortunately they are leaving out the money part. Shortsighted to do this, unless they WANT it to fail.

[SunSeeker]

21. Republicans hate poor people and want to punish them, not help them.

So even if you showed them how well these programs work to help the poor, Republicans would not be happy, because the programs offer no punishment for what Republicans see as a moral failing.

[calimary]

26. This is key, I suspect.

Especially to feed a discouragement or punishment instinct. Accentuate the negative.

Yeah. That’ll help.

[SunSeeker]

27. It never occurred to me that people could hate the poor.

My mom, a devout Eastern Orthodox Christian, always told me the most important thing you can do, in God's eyes, is help the poor or less fortunate, that it is like giving to Jesus (as the Bible teaches).

I assumed everyone felt the same way, since so many Americans proudly identify as Christians and contend we are a "Christian nation." As I grew up, I became increasingly baffled by why we have poor people, when there are so many readily workable solutions to the problem that we could be employing but do not. The study in this OP is hardly groundbreaking news. We knew this.

Then one day in college I spoke to a professor at UCLA Law School who taught a class called "Law and the Poor," and I asked him that question. Without batting an eye, he responded, "Because Americans hate the poor." I was stunned. But then I realized It is the only thing that explains why we literally hurt ourselves and our economy by passing punitive, demeaning aid requirements on the poor. So, unable to get sufficient aid, the poor turn to petty crime. It is a pitiful and utterly preventable situation. But Americans, and conservatives in particular, must have their pound of flesh from the poor, even if it means a worse quality of life for us all.

[calimary]

28. If I was within earshot of that, about hating the poor,

I guess all I could hope for is that maybe Jesus didn’t hear that…”

MAYBE.