California city of Richmond is hiring ex-cons to combat gang violence - resulting in a 40% murder ra - Polidicks

[quote]The San Francisco Bay Area city of Richmond, population 108,000, saw a record 47 gun homicides in 2007. In response, the city started hiring ex-cons and sending them into the worst neighborhoods. The next year, the killings fell to 27 but then spiked again to 47 in 2009. This time, the city invited some of the most hardened youth into a fellowship, where they would be mentored by ex-cons and offered a cash stipend. Police were left out of the picture. By 2014, gun homicides had fallen to 11, although they were back up to 21 last year after a staffing cut. Of the 68 youths who've been through the program, 94% are alive, and 79% have not been suspected of a new gun crime.[/quote] [url]http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/19/health/cash-for-criminals-richmond-california/index.html[/url] The portion here is the article summary, not part of the actual article. Pretty interesting - and effective - approach to gun violence.

I like where this is going.

Suicide Squad reference goes here

[quote]These fellows must pledge to put their guns away for a more peaceful life. They are hooked up with mentors -- the reformed criminals-turned-city workers -- who offer advice, guidance and support to get jobs. If the fellows show good behavior after six months, they can earn a stipend of up to $1,000 a month.[/quote] Yeah I wouldn't commit a crime if I was promised $1000 a month either.

Good. This is a great idea, actually.

Wow, can I be a criminal and then get reformed for lots and lots of money?

[QUOTE=Matthew0505;50358368]Maybe, but you'd also have a criminal record preventing you from getting employment. It's like dismembering yourself to get disability benefits.[/QUOTE] Well there was that one lady who paid a doctor under the table to blind her because it was apparently her greatest dream to be blind. She claims to be much happier now.

[QUOTE=fear me;50358322]Wow, can I be a criminal and then get reformed for lots and lots of money?[/QUOTE] "reformed" used loosely. Its not reform if you're in a contract.

[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;50358523]Well there was that one lady who paid a doctor under the table to blind her because it was apparently her greatest dream to be blind. She claims to be much happier now.[/QUOTE] that's more of a mental illness than anything else though, besides the government offers incentives to companies who hire ex cons.

[QUOTE=Electrocuter;50358148]Yeah I wouldn't commit a crime if I was promised $1000 a month either.[/QUOTE] That's $200 less than I earn every month busting my ass at fucking walmart.

[QUOTE=Electrocuter;50358148]Yeah I wouldn't commit a crime if I was promised $1000 a month either.[/QUOTE] That's not really a lot of money, at all. That's like getting paid $6.50 an hour for a 40 hour week.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50362004]That's not really a lot of money, at all. That's like getting paid $6.50 an hour for a 40 hour week.[/QUOTE] Okay but what exactly is the requirement for that stipend? I doubt they're actually working 40 hours a week under their mentor for it. [quote=]Six months into the fellowships, the young men can apply for the monthly stipend, which can go up to $1,000 depending on their participation and achievements. Most earn about $300 to $750 a month. They can make money for up to nine months.[/quote] They don't actually say specifically what is being done to earn it, as far as I can tell.

[QUOTE=Matthew0505;50358368]Maybe, but you'd also have a criminal record preventing you from getting employment. It's like dismembering yourself to get disability benefits.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50362004]That's not really a lot of money, at all. That's like getting paid $6.50 an hour for a 40 hour week.[/QUOTE]That's $6.50 an hour paid specifically for the service of [I]not committing crimes[/I] though, it's not like any actual work is being done for that money.

[QUOTE=JumpinJackFlash;50362081]That's $6.50 an hour paid specifically for the service of [I]not committing crimes[/I] though, it's not like any actual work is being done for that money.[/QUOTE] The article doesn't specify either way, you can't dismiss it as them not doing "actual work" as much as I can't say they are doing it for "actual work". Either way, the affect it is having on the crime rate cannot be ignored.

I understand that and I congratulate their success but my concern is the potential incentives it creates to justify committing a crime to get under that program.

[QUOTE=fear me;50358322]Wow, can I be a criminal and then get reformed for lots and lots of money?[/QUOTE] $1000/month is not a lot

[QUOTE=soulharvester;50362248]I understand that and I congratulate their success but my concern is the potential incentives it creates to justify committing a crime to get under that program.[/QUOTE] They aren't paid much, and their criminal record isn't revoked.

[QUOTE=MaximLaHaxim;50365098]They aren't paid much, and their criminal record isn't revoked.[/QUOTE] But you could bolster that stipend into a livable wage with only one or two mid-sized drug deals in a month and the guys in this program definitely have those connections. Just a thought. It's more important to see what actually happens rather than being caught up in hypotheticals.

[QUOTE=ImimI;50365119]But you could bolster that stipend into a livable wage with only one or two mid-sized drug deals in a month and the guys in this program definitely have those connections. Just a thought. It's more important to see what actually happens rather than being caught up in hypotheticals.[/QUOTE] The point of the program is to reduce violence, which is what happened according to the article.

[QUOTE=Electrocuter;50358148]Yeah I wouldn't commit a crime if I was promised $1000 a month either.[/QUOTE] Hopefully this will show some people how poverty plays a major role in crime rates. Poverty breeds a self-sustaining culture of desperation and anger. You want to disrupt that? Fight it at the source by attacking the factors of poverty. You don't have to give $1,000/month to everybody in the city, by any means, but you do need to heavily invest in local infrastructure, services, and amenities. People living comfortable lives ripe with opportunity for self-actualization resort to crime at much, much lower rates.

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;50365198]Hopefully this will show some people how poverty plays a major role in crime rates. Poverty breeds a self-sustaining culture of desperation and anger. You want to disrupt that? Fight it at the source by attacking the factors of poverty. You don't have to give $1,000/month to everybody in the city, by any means, but you do need to heavily invest in local infrastructure, services, and amenities. People living comfortable lives ripe with opportunity for self-actualization resort to crime at much, much lower rates.[/QUOTE] It does make you wonder what added benefits something like a universal basic income would have, nobody ever discusses the social aspects of people being able to at least afford small luxuries that prevent them from going and committing crime

I would love to see an actual study on it. There's really no way to know if this is the cause of the decreased crime numbers. They also don't talk about the crime stats of people who've already finished the program, which makes me doubt it's success rate.