ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews some of the problems with the current U.S. system of crime and punishment, but the main point is to discuss policies and programs that would deal with crime more humanely and effectively and thus offer more realistic opportunities to keep people safe. It is difficult to overestimate the harm that has been done by the criminal justice policies of the last few decades. They have brought harsh punishment to certain portions of our population, alongside leniency extended to the crimes of others. State crime is not possible to go into the details that would be necessary to offer a thorough picture of how state crime might be prevented or alleviated. The criminal justice system is currently centered on punishing offenders, and even though some programs, such as boot camps, house arrest, or electronic monitoring, provide new ways of dealing with offenders and can cut costs, they fail to reduce recidivism.
