PUBLIC POLICY

Final Examination: Public Policy



Final Examination: Public Policy

1.

In Walker's discussion 'Lock 'EM Up' the three strategies associated is seriousness, repetitiveness and dangerousness. Seriousness refers to gravity of crimes, including both the immediate crime for which an offender prosecuted and Past crimes. Repetitiveness refers to a defendant's earlier record or criminal career. Intensity refers to the raw at which a defendant has committed crimes in the past, is in the annual offending rate. Dangerousness represents a predictive assessment of the amount of harm an offender might do to the community. The practitioners believed that the old laws sentenced offenders who were not truly dangerous predators hut comparatively trifling offender (Bayley, 1988). These three strategies represent all the worst aspects of the “get tough” approach crime. First, they are a classic example of overreaction to celebrated cases. Second, they represent a crude, meat-ax policy that sweeps up many non-dangerous criminals. Third, they are no consistently implemented and thus increase the arbitrariness or the administration of justice. Fourth, they upset the normal race and impose additional costs on local criminal justice systems, including more trials, delays, and greater dollar costs. Finally, no clear evidence indicates that they will reduce serious crime and some convincing evidence shows that they incarcerate a lot of people who ill nor commit any crimes at all.

Proposition 15: General deterrence policies-the positive impact of this proposition is its innovativeness including the concept of pulling levers; however, there are certain problems in these policies including that they are addressed to a diffuse general audience and have no credible capacity for delivering the threat.

Proposition 16: Deterrence programs-the proposition relating to the death penalty has found a lack of consensus of the opinion that leads to the negative impact; however, the positive impact that has been observed is that the death penalty has a powerful deterrent effect, with each execution preventing seven or eight murders.

Proposition 17: The death penalty does not deter crime-the negative impact of this proposition is that such policies are questionable in the long run, and no such policies have been scientifically demonstrated to work over time. However, such policies also play a symbolic role in expressing society's moral condemnation of drunk driving.

Proposition 18: Enforcement crackdowns do not deter drunk driving over the long run-interlock systems are considered to be very effective ways to reduce drunk driving related accidents and fatalities. However, the negative impact of this proposition is that technological advances are making it difficult and the system needs to be constantly evolving.

Proposition 19: Multipronged Strategies-it can effectively reduce the drunk driving and traffic fatalities.

2.

In Walker's discussion 'Close the Loopholes', there are many arguments on the failure of the system. There also some prosecution approaches discussed. Special prosecutors units address the distinction between horizontal approaches to prosecution versus a vertical approach. Most large urban prosecutor's offices use a horizontal approach. One group of prosecutors handles the initial filing of charges and arraignment. Another group takes the case to trial and negotiates plea ...