Education, Poverty, and Crime-Does all Three have Connection to the other
Crime exists everywhere in the United States in rural and urban areas, in the East and West, and among all types of people. The relationship between poverty and crime has been a controversial subject over the years. The fact remains that most Americans have tried to act as though the problem did not exist, or as if they never felt affected by it (Qaio, 1999). The level of the correlation between poverty, crime and education can only be clearly understood by a close examination of the prisons in this country and the manner in which people are getting affected by economic hardships. Every scholar who has dared to venture into the exploration of this subject of poverty, education and crime in the country has in one way or another alluded to the possibility of the three having a very well structured correlation. The basis of this relationship is in the fact that the lack of education in the country has been cited as one of the indicators of underdevelopment (Qaio, 1999).
That aside, the lack of education is also known to contribute to crime because it is literally impossible to be without at least a high school diploma in this country and find work that can sustain one. As a direct consequence of this, most poorly or totally uneducated people have resorted to crime to fend for themselves (Qaio, 1999). Therefore, poverty, which is mainly brought about by a lack of proper education, will always lead to crime. The crime itself might not necessarily be an issue because every crime will get one behind bars.
Statement of the Problem
Crime is a very serious problem that affects this country. It is among the most nagging issues that government after government has sought to address. It is therefore important that its causes are investigated, and what brings it about is pinpointed so as to have the problem addressed from the roots. Finding out whether education, poverty, and crime are really related to each other and if so, how this correlation contributes to the growth of the overall problem is very critical.
Background of the Problem Literature Review
The fact that these three socioeconomic issues have been commented on by many scholars, civil society movements, and even politicians is not deniable. They have generally been linked to one another, and each has also been cited as being associated with many other different issues. In Crime, Poverty, and the Family, William (1992) argues that there is no way in which poverty and crime can be divorced one from the other. He is of the opinion that these twin issues have for a long time formed the familys most vicious enemy as far as development is concerned. It is a matter of life and death, he seems to note, to try to have both of these social problems addressed because they have become so much entrenched in the family fabric that certain people have tended to believe that they are actually not supposed to be kicked out of the house.
In retrospect, this literary source emphasizes the role that family plays in bringing poverty and making it endemic there (Eck Maguire, 2000). It also reiterates the more commonly frowned-upon crime as having become almost the reserve of a certain class of people in society. Crime, the author notes, is not for the high ranking and those with an air of authority round them. Rather, it is only associated with the lowly and those whose lives are not so much as valuable as they might want. After all, are not the criminals in the society sometimes treated as though they were not actual humans Being poor is almost used as a good excuse for those desiring to commit a crime. The author still insists on this very fact, adding that either poverty drives one to commit crime, or it increases the chances that one will never be able to come out of it unless one does something such as committing a crime (Eck Maguire, 2000).
Another commentary on this subject matter is by Jeffrey Riemann (2004) who, in The Rich Get Rich and the Poor Get Prison Ideology, Class, and Criminal Justice, is categorical that the level of poverty in the country is highest where there is a high crime rate. Rather, crime is very rampant in places where the people are very poor and where survival is very hard. He compares and contrasts the rich and the poor with regard to indulgence in crime, and almost sarcastically frowns at the fact that most American prisons have become the preserve of the poor people who cannot as much as afford the required legal fees for a competent enough advocate or lawyer to help defend one in any court case.
The suggestion being made here is that crime is not something that the rich go for. The rich are too preoccupied with seeking to get money to care about committing crimes that are capable of landing them in prison (Reiman, 2004). Nor does the author mean that there is no crime committed by the rich. Instead, he tends to classify crimes into two, those committed by the rich and those by the poor. The poor, although committing some of the most menial crimes, almost always end up in prison. The rich, on the contrary, hardly ever get to come as close to prison as to an appeal a court case but rather are released on the police bonds or, at the furthest, in the court during the initial hearing of their case. This is regardless of what they have committed usually their crimes amounting to the highest levels of revenue in gain if successfully carried out.
Henry George (1986) in The Crime of Poverty does not seem to see the way in which education can indeed prevent one fro leading a life of crime. He is of the opinion that crime is somewhat endemic in certain societies no matter where they live. However, he too agrees that the lack of education is a great spur to ones leading a criminal lifestyle. To him, education lays a foundation for one to have a future that is bright and also to live a life that is socially acceptable and morally satisfying (George, 1986).
To that end, he challenges the popular view that America is a society of intellectuals where crime levels are very low and literacy is very high. Instead, he is of the viewpoint that in fact just as there is great success in academic fields, there is also rampant poverty especially among the minority communities, with a significant proportion of the population living in inner cities. This is the fate of a country which seeks to portray a clean image of itself while the actual truth is that underneath this appeal and whitewash, there is the stench of poverty and crime. Lederman Loayza (2002) in Violent Crime Does Social Capital Matter argues that violent crime and other closely associated acts of law breaking are brought about by the lack of what he describes as social capital the absence the relevant social structures necessary to bring about every member of the family in a way that is acceptable and that does not pose a threat to others.
Some Sociologist and Psychologists believe theres a link between poverty and crime (Iceland, 2006). These claim that poverty is more often than not a precursor to crime, because it is rarely observed that the rich can engage in criminal activities to the same level as the poor. Statistically, without actually giving any specific figures, the author gives an approximation that for every a hundred incidents of reported crime, 99 of them involve the poor while only one will touch on the rich. A closer look at this reveals that of the few cases of crime committed by the rich, their cause is not associated with poverty but a desire for more riches. These are just some of the isolated cases.
Finally, there have been other people who can be best called skeptics and who are neither neutral nor in agreement, but who believe theres no relationship whatsoever between poverty and crime. This cadre of people point to the incidences of crime in affluent areas and the most up-market areas as proof that that poverty has no part in their commission (Qaio, 1999). They also cite the lack of education as never as such having any impact on the society as far as crime is concerned.
Application-Discussion
Growing up in a poor neighborhood was one of the nastiest experiences that I have ever had to go through in life. And it is on the basis of this knowledge that I can categorically affirm the views of most of the scholars cited in the literature of this paper that it is very difficult, almost impossible, to separate poverty, crime, and education. The attainment of education in the neighborhood where I was brought up was somewhat like discovering a goldmine, with the few who managed to get even the most basic education being viewed as lucky indeed. In the first place, our living and growing up in the inner city neighborhood was nothing we chose but was what was imposed on us by fate for failure by our parents to secure themselves a god education when they first settled in this country.
Having only the most basic education that could not as much as secure them a job that paid well to afford even a basic life, they were left with no choice but to live within their means. That was the start of their poverty. As I grew up, I did not as much as have to worry what would become of me because everyone around us was equally poor and as a result they were heavily involved in crime. Drug trafficking and armed and violent crime was a way of life there. Although I managed to go to school, the others never had the opportunity and since they had to take care of themselves and live, they resorted to the use of violence to get what education could have given them and to try to manage, not to escape, the strong pangs of poverty (Tunnel, 2006).
In this inner city neighborhood, we lived life as basically as it could get, and I bet those who live in affluent areas could actually not make it through for more than even a few days (Iceland, 2006). There was a lack of many basic needs that it was virtually impossible to have a real chance at life. Under these circumstances, no-one seemed to care or to wonder that crime was so rampant. In fact it became a way of life which was acceptable to the society. The only enemies people had were the police who showed no mercy to their victims. I agree, therefore, that poverty is a menace in this country which has caused many, especially the young people, to engage in crime. A lack of education, on its part, has contributed to crime increase in that the time that could have been spent at school is used for criminal activities (Iceland, 2006).
The scholars who believe that there is no relationship between poverty and crime ought to be given a chance like I had to live in such an inner city and they will definitely have to review their positions. It is one thing to read about something and it is completely another to experience it. It amazes one to hear that there are people in this country who can fail to trace the clear link that is there between poverty and crime (Lynn, 1990). Although I agree with those who see no direct link between education and poverty andor education and poverty, it is very obvious that poverty has greatly motivated people to seek to engage in crime.
There is no way, I believe, in which a criminal can admit that hisher actions are innate but most will confess that they were either pushed into crime by the fact that they lacked the resources to do what they wanted, or that they needed to ensure that the resources of the country were equally distributed. This later point is delicate because it brings us into another twist- the role played by income inequalities in education attainment, crime and poverty. The fact that people of the same country, state, country or even community can be so different in their social and economic class is indeed a subject warranting a lot of concern (Iceland, 2006).
While some live in abject poverty, others are strangers to even the word poverty itself (Qaio, 1999). This leaves the society divided. Resentments grow and the poor seek out for ways to vent out their resentment for the rich. If they fail to attack them through malice aforethought, they do so to get out of their hand some of the precious possessions they covet. Poverty has led to crime. Almost in a similar manner, the person with an education from a respectable institution will never resort to crime at all, nor will heshe harbor hatred for other people who are more advanced that himher. Instead, such people will exercise restraint and caution and will tend to promote virtuous living as opposed to harboring resent toward others in the society (Lynn, 1990).
Conclusion Recommendations
In spite of the denial by some that poverty, education, and time have no correlation at all, it is a fact that the three affect one another in some way and the need to deal with all of them together is a valid one. Therefore, in order to address any one of the three, it is imperative and even economical to consider addressing the other two as well. This knowledge is the basis of these recommendations which when implemented will go along way in reducing the rampant problem of crime in the country, and then to lower poverty levels.
The first is to emphasize the importance of education for all, and the ensuring that every one gets the education one desires. Secondly, there has to be a deliberate effort to reduce income inequalities because they have contributed directly to crime and indirectly to poverty which in turn leads to crime. The other recommendation is to expand the use of community policing, because the criminals are known by the members of the society. There has also to be free education for the marginalized and the minority communities. Finally, I recommend that a poverty eradication policy be adopted so that the government is compelled to channel funds aimed at providing basic infrastructure to those with low incomes.
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