The Case for the So-Called "Hard Line" Approach to Crime

Abstract

Crime is caused by criminals. This is the main thesis of this article, admittedly a "hard line" idea, but one which must be recognized if we are to do anything constructive about the problem of lawlessness and violence which besets this nation. The intolerable picture of crime in this country is described, particularly the extent to which the poor and the racial minorities pay for crime. The basic reason for crime in this country is simply that there are too many criminals on the street. The reasons that this condition exists are threefold: failure to apprehend criminals, failure to convict criminals, and failure to incarcerate criminals. These three "failures" are discussed and specific responses to each—based on a massive outpouring of citizen concern for and action against our crime problem—are described. The authors be lieve that only with such active involvement by the members of the law-abiding majority can the problem be solved.