The recent conviction of a violent young man has sparked a public outcry for maximum sentences, but few look at the causes. The lack of opportunities, social exclusion, and the absence of rehabilitation programs are the breeding ground. Celebrating life imprisonment as a solution is contradictory when there is no investment in prevention or mental health for at-risk youth.
The failure of a system that ignores early intervention data 📉
Behavior prediction algorithms and data-based early intervention programs show that prevention reduces recidivism by up to 40%. However, public funds are allocated to toughening sentences instead of funding psychological support and youth employment in disadvantaged areas. The technology already exists to identify and act before the crime, but punishment is preferred over the solution.
The magic solution: lock up the problem and throw away the key 🔑
It is curious: we demand life imprisonment for a kid who perhaps never had a job, but we refuse to pay for a school psychologist. Thus, instead of investing in prevention, we wait for the problem to grow to applaud their confinement. A brilliant strategy: let the fire burn and then complain that there are no firefighters. Very efficient, indeed.