Skip to content

Friday, Mar. 31, 2023

Is increasing criminal penalties effective at reducing crime?

Todd Butterworth, The Nevada Independent
no

Research on crime deterrence shows that increasing punishment severity does little to prevent crime. This is partly because criminals seldom know the legal sanctions for specific crimes.

Increasing the chance of being caught is a more effective deterrent. For example, there is no proof that the death penalty deters crime, whereas a greater certainty of being caught is a deterrent. Effective policing that leads to swift and certain, but not necessarily severe, sanctions is a better deterrent than the threat of incarceration.

Some harsher punishments, such as longer prison sentences, may actually increase the incidence of crime. Inmates can learn more effective crime strategies from each other, and time in prison may desensitize many to the threat of future imprisonment. Research shows only 10% to 15% of the crime decline in the U.S. is attributable to punishment policy. 

See a full discussion of this at The Nevada Independent

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.

Learn More

Latest Fact Briefs

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.