Costs of Crimes
What is Direct Costs
This theory suggests criminals make logical choices by weighing costs and benefits before committing a crime.
What is rational choice theory?
How do private prisons make money?
What is they receive government funding per inmate housed?
The main goal of the War on Drugs.
What is to reduce illegal drug use through strict law enforcement and harsher penalties.
Name one method governments use to prevent crime.
What is education programs, job training, social services, etc.?
An example of an indirect cost of crime that affects businesses.
What economic principle is at play when a person chooses to commit a crime instead of working a legal job?
What is Opportunity cost?
What is they create an incentive to incarcerate more people for profit?
How did the War on Drugs impact incarceration rates?
Led to a dramatic increase in incarceration, especially for non-violent drug offenses.
What is one argument for investing in rehabilitation over incarceration?
What is rehabilitation reduces reentrance into prisons and can save taxpayer money in the long run?
One way crime increases government spending.
What is more police, legal system costs, incarceration expenses, etc.
How does a cost-benefit analysis apply to crime?
Evaluates the financial and social consequences of committing a crime.
True or False: Private prisons have significantly lower costs than public prisons?
False - While they sometimes cut costs, studies show mixed financial benefits.
What is one economic argument for decriminalizing certain drugs?
What is it saves money on law enforcement and incarceration, generates tax revenue from regulated markets?
How do high incarceration rates affect the labor market?
What is decrease available workers, hurt economic growth, and increase government dependency programs?
What is higher insurance premiums?
What effect does a high crime rate have on supply and demand in local economies?
Decreases supply of workers, increases price due to risk, lowers demand for businesses in dangerous areas.
One argument in favor of private prisons.
What is they can relieve overcrowding in public prisons and may operate more efficiently?
What unintended economic consequence did the War on Drugs have on communities?
Name one economic downside of investing too much in punishment instead of prevention.
What is long-term costs of incarceration exceed the benefits, higher reentrance rates, fewer skilled workers?
How does crime impact local economies beyond direct financial losses?
What is business closures, reduced property values, less investment, etc.?
How does human capital development (education, skills training) impact crime rates?
How does the private prison industry impact government policies?
What is it encourages stricter sentencing laws and contracts requiring a minimum number of inmates?
How did government spending change due to the war on drugs?
What is more money was allocated to law enforcement, courts, and prisons instead of rehabilitation and prevention?
What is one successful example of rehabilitation-focused criminal justice reform?
What is European models such as Norway's system, which emphasizes rehabilitation and has lower reentrance rats.