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David, I like your approach, and you may be on to a short term solution. I believe academic education, and giving the public the opportunity to make an honest living would be a good start. You would have to intervene, and I don’t like that particular word (intervene), before the cycle of criminality becomes ingrained in those persons. Strengthening families, and allowing people to secure jobs, open businesses, and otherwise be able to earn a decent living would go a long way toward resolving these problems, long term. Education is probably the best solution. Although white collar crimes may be enhanced, you don’t see as many highly educated in the prison system compared to the illiterate or less educated.
Hola Amigos,
I’ve been involved in non-criminal mediation, and discovered there is a form of mediation well-suited for juvenile crime called restorative justice. Here’s just a bit of the solution oriented approach that will not engorge prisons and gives all parties (victim/perpetrator/ community) a chance for justice. This has been highly successful wherever its been used. See http://www.restorativejustice.org for more.
Three principles form the foundation for restorative justice:
Justice requires that we work to restore those who have been injured.
Those most directly involved and affected by crime should have the opportunity to participate fully in the response if they wish.
Government’s role is to preserve a just public order, and the community’s is to build and maintain a just peace.
Restorative programmes are characterized by four key values:Encounter: Create opportunities for victims, offenders and community members who want to do so to meet to discuss the crime and its aftermath
Amends: Expect offenders to take steps to repair the harm they have caused
Reintegration: Seek to restore victims and offenders to whole, contributing members of society
Inclusion: Provide opportunities for parties with a stake in a specific crime to participate in its resolutioncalada this sounds great but first the police have to legally be able and even interested in arresting the offenders.
CALADANA, This methodology sounds very interesting. How effective has it been to prevent those kids from going back into the system?
If you happen to live in CR now (and even if you don’t), you might want to share this information with their criminal justice system:
police http://www.msp.go.cr/contactenos.html
OIJ/Courts seem to have an interesting project that may fit with those ideas see:
http://www.poder-judicial.go.cr/bid/componentes.htm
and maybe even PANI (like children services) http://www.pani.go.cr/adpani.phpBecause like I said, NOTHING seems to be getting done so it’s NO WONDER that petty crime, especially by juveniles although it is NOT limited to them, is out of control in some places and they should give some things a try before the IRON FIST option is taken….
There are no expeditious, easy solutions to this problem. Push in here and it bulges over there. Push over there and it bulges here again. There is a certain portion of human population which will always be criminal and that is one problem for which we may never have a humane solution apart from tough, legally applied sanctions against them.
However, the larger portion of crimes are committed, I believe, by people who would not normally commit crimes if their personal economic and educative situations were more positively inclined towards social cooperation. That problem can absolutely be solved but it isn’t easy nor quick and it requires an extremely enlightened society willing to make economic sacrifice for its less fortunate members. In other words, intelligently applied socialism. One for all, and all for one.
Is human nature capable of such magnanimous behavior? I certainly don’t know but look around the world today. How many places can you find where the entire society constitutionally bans armed forces and devotes the largest portion of its resources to more benevolent and worthy goals? Costa Rica is, for all its faults and shortcomings, a hugely positive experiment in the right direction for the entire planet. I hope it works.
Edited on Feb 07, 2008 05:17
Edited on Feb 07, 2008 05:21
Soflodoug, just how does the Costa Rican government end up paying for losses to criminals claimed by insured parties? This is news to me.
The approach of “restorative justice” outlined above is certainly intriguing. I’ve often thought that requiring criminals to compensate victims should have a prominent place in adjudication, but how to make it work?
Justice needs to be swift, certain, and deterrent. Perpetrators need to know in advance that they’re certain to be punished the first time and that the experience won’t be one they wish to relive.
Prior to the reforms in mental health in Michigan (and elsewhere) in the 1860s or 1870s, a large percentage (maybe 40%) of its population spend some time in mental institutions. And they were truely the hellholes described by the reformers. The experience didn’t cure mental illness, but it sure changed behavior. You quickly learned that, while you might be crazy as a loon on the inside, you’d better act like you’re sane in public. And that’s enough.
I’m not convinced that more or better education, better economic opportunities, or better anything else will change the criminal mind, and I don’t care. All I want to influence is behavior.
Sprite,if the criminals want help then they can choose that while they are in prison,let them work in a factory,anything if they choose in programs,but the bottom line is we have a right to our property and no one has the right to steal it or assault anybody,whether they are poor or rich i dont care period. The brakes need to be put down on these crimes, I read on here that somebody had a balinese house stolen,my god,what else is possible? This is surreal,who would imagine such a thing is possible? Iron fist!!
Davidcmurray,I can tell you the costa rican government pays via ins insurance,they have the money appearantly being the only insurer in this country,I was robbed,they paid. They paid thousands to me. The oij police called me one time during the investigation and asked me if I knew who robbed me,while I heard a lot of laughing on the phone in the backround.
This is a way of culture here,like I said before,iron fist,new crime czar,I agree the behavior needs to change by way of stiff penalties and deportation of these criminals. If they are illegal here,put them on a bus in shackles,and take them home and throw them off the bus. We all worked hard for what we have,that needs to be respected,it doesent feel good to know that your rights are in reality not worth much in many circumstances. I didnt know many of these things before I started living here,the country has outgrown this old system just like the many infrastructure problems with property in the country. Were too intelligent to sit back and take this. Many people here just laugh when you tell the stories of robbery,i would like to see the nervous reaction of laughter removed off their faces and serious penalties in their minds for the future and a new system of power againt crime.There is an inextricable link between brain, mind and behavior — You can’t propose to change behavior without having changed their minds. First we think and it has been said; therefore, we are, but certainly our minds perceive first and then we act. I’m sure there are sociopaths out there that can’t help themselves and can’t be given any kind of lenient hand, but we know that these are the minority in any population. Most of the petty thieves in CR are just that because of the OBVIOUS opportunity afforded them under the current laws and conditions in CR not necessarily because they are incapable of doing otherwise. We all agree that deterrents must be there — Why the need to go for the ultimate punishments (IRON FIST) maneuvers when the primary deterrents haven’t even been given a chance? For goodness sake, put them in jail (and this would be a first…) and it shouldn’t be a pleasant experience either without it having to become Abu Ghraib in there. I smell the need to draw blood in some of these posts and I wonder why?
Iron fist? After the the dust clears from your iron fist approach, look around and see what kind of society you left with. Career criminals should be dealt with firmly but, as I said before, not all criminals are of that type. They need to be separated from the hard core criminals and dealt with differently. You might enjoy living in China or Cuba as they do use an iron fist.
Regards theft, the more you sacrifice your humanity in order to protect property, the more property will be worth in relation to humanity. Balance here in important.
Rebaragon,you seem extremely intelligent and I am enjoying the responses here by such kind hearted people,however lets smell the coffee! Do you know how many people have been robbed at gun point in their own homes? Do you know how many people have had money stolen from online bank accounts? Do you know how many people have lost everything because of lack of regulation and penalties and have been so discusted they left the country some leaving their peoperty behind?
Putting the brakes on this is the first step,while creating programs and solutions, in the states city government has needed new faces too,they need a new crime czar to clean house and put a new way of thinking here,all I know if it is not an arrestable offense to steal under $500.00 ,the current officials who have been practicing this kind of enforcement need to have new laws on their desks or they need to go and its going to take in my opinion some new faces to bring this about. In my opinion this is an emergency!Sprite,thank you for the response,I guess to each his own,however can you guard my house,and find out who stole the poor peoples balinese house?
Regards theft, the more you sacrifice your humanity in order to protect property, the more property will be worth in relation to humanity. Balance here in important
sprite.. that is a great quote.. its true.. balance needs to be taken. there are no easy answers to these types of questions.. although it is amusing that scott continues to counter any negative costa rica statements with the usual.. “well in the U.S crime is much much higher.. yada yada..”
i do believe in personal protection and justice. but unfortunetly in a society like here or any other you have to adapt. it is also sad that as one grows in prosperity… items, properties etc… so also grows the stress of owning these things since now protection of these items and properties have also need to be factored in.
I have a contractor who just bought a 2003 land crusiser.. he used to have a 1986 isuzu.. he saved and got a loan.. so now he has payments.. and hes living large.. so he thought
after a few months.. we had a conversation and he told me that he should have never gotten himself ito that car.. because now since he has to worry about his car he needs to park in garages.. the cost of insurance.. marchamos..monthly payments.. he paid for security sysetm to be installed. he has more stress than just driving his 1986 isuzu.. such is life when you own things…
Im begining to think renting here in costa rica is actually better than owning..
harlon
I agree soflodoug that this has become an emergency situation in CR and I am aware and find it painful that in CR you can’t leave anything unattended or feel safe while walking in some areas. I’m also terribly sorry you have had to experience this first hand. There are a lot of ‘losts’ in this process. First your items are stolen, your personal safety is transgressed and misplaced, you’re left feeling violated, nervous, frustrated, angry and disgusted that this can happen, then no one typically finds your valuables and who gives you back your peace of mind? All unacceptable, I know, but when discussing appropriate, effective punishments WHEN/IF the perpetrators are found there is currently & effectively ZIP, ZILCH, ZERO punishment for petty thefts in CR whether armed or not. This is also totally unacceptable and much more than for the property loss it’s associated with, but because there is a personal loss that should be considered (even when no physical damage was imposed on the victims). I don’t want to have to create a pretty jail (how many barred windows, gates & keys to get into your house in CR?) for me to live in just to keep thieves on the streets, but there is no need to err on the other end of the balance in order to get results.
I guess I just believe that punishments should fit the crimes and that repeat offenses should be dealt with a firmer hand than those that have made only one mistake and if we use the ‘ultimate’ iron fist punishments from the very beginning and at even the slightest of infractions, how can we do that?
Sprite, I also loved that quote…Pura Vida…
You may quote me Harlon but you may not misquote me…
The main point of my initial posting in this thread was clear:
“Costa Rica has recently made some major changes in the way that it approaches petty crimes but I insert this quote above to show that we all have our problems and massive incarceration clearly does not work either…”
You should also know that I also did a search throughout the site and can not find the words “yada yada” anywhere in any of my articles or postings 🙂
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.com
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