“Only with a better understanding of crime’s hidden costs can policy makers properly evaluate proposals for innovative approaches to policing, corrections, and crime prevention.”
DANVILLE, Ky. (PRWEB)
March 17, 2022
Recently published research from David A. Anderson at Centre College reports that the total cost of crime in the United States, including the direct costs of law enforcement, criminal justice, and victims’ losses, and the indirect costs of private deterrence, fear, and agony, and time lost to avoidance and recovery is estimated to be $4.71-5.78 trillion annually.
Compare these costs to the $3.83 trillion spent on health care (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2020) and the $2.71 trillion spent on food and shelter (US Department of Labor 2020a) annually in the United States.
Crime prompts expenditures on prevention, recovery, justice, and corrections. This includes direct estimates of government spending, and indirect costs of incarceration to offenders and their families. The enormity of crime’s cost adds relevance to the distribution of crime’s burdens. As the broader cost implications of crime come to light, added protection or assistance for groups with inordinate burdens may be justified.
This study highlights the importance of measuring crime with costs rather than counts. While the numbers of most types of violent and property crimes have decreased since the 1990s, the average cost of those crimes increased. Estimates of crime’s burden inform public and private decisions about crime-prevention measures. Only with a better understanding of crime’s hidden costs can policy makers properly evaluate proposals for innovative approaches to policing, corrections, and crime prevention.
Source: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/715713
For more information and a copy of the article, please contact: Professor David A. Anderson d.anderson@centre.edu
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