Oklahoma Takes Louisiana’s Place as the State with the Highest Incarceration Rate in The U.S.

According to a study by the Prison Policy Initiative, Oklahoma has recently surpassed Louisiana in terms of the highest incarceration rates in the United States with 1,079 people being incarcerated out of 100,000.

In an interview by Jeremy Hobson with John Carl, a University of Oklahoma sociology and criminology professor, Carl says that it isn’t about the higher rates of crime. He added that across the entire southern part of the United States, there has been a large increase of incarcerations since the 80s.

Carl explained that incarcerations have exploded to a massive 700 percent since 1980 with crime rates in the state going up by about 20 percent.

When asked about the state of Oklahoma’s prisons Carl said that they are overcrowded.

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There is a Sexual Predator in Your Neighborhood! Guidelines to Help You Keep Your Children Safe

Shocking news continues to hit our television of scenes where young children and teens have been molested by trusted people such as long-distance relatives, trusted teachers, religious leaders, neighbors and entrusted caregivers. The act is both shocking and worrying leaving parents to wonder what they have to do to protect their young ones.

Not every child is confident enough to explain of this ordeal making it difficult for parents to determine the symptoms until it is too late. However, prevention is better than cure so parents should learn how to take care of their kids and protect them from sexual predators.

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The Three Most Dangerous Cities in Florida in Terms of Crime Rate

Being the 4th most populated state in the US, the cities in Florida do not contain good news concerning crime rate. Out of the 100 most dangerous cities in Florida regarding crime rate, 11 are from Florida. The most common types of crime being; Murder, rape, robbery and assault. The following are the three most dangerous cities in Florida regarding crime rate.

Homestead

The chance of becoming a victim in the city of Homestead is one out of sixty. Homestead is the most dangerous city in Florida and is also among the top 100 cities in the United States that are susceptible to criminal activities.

The city of Homestead is situated between two of the best parks in Florida, Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park. Homestead is home to the Miami suburbs and a major agricultural area.

The City of Homestead has registered a total of 191 sex offenders, which makes this crime one of the most popular in the city. Other famous crimes that have been reported in Homestead include; murders, arson, burglaries and robberies.

Riviera Beach

The second most dangerous city in Florida regarding crime rate is Riviera Beach. The chance of becoming a victim of criminal activities in the city of Riviera Beach is one out of seventy-six. It is also among the top 100 cities in the United States that are most notorious regarding criminal activities.

Riviera Beach is situated in South Florida. The majority of the population in Riviera Beach are the African American. Riviera Beach is one of the most popular cosmopolitan cities in the United States. However, security of the City needs to be tightened to make Riviera Beach a more secure place to live.

Lake Worth

Coming third in the most dangerous cities in Florida, Lake Worth’s risk of becoming a victim is one in 78 individuals. Lake Worth is situated in Palm Beach County of Florida. It was named after the area’s eastern border which is a water body that was originally known as Lake Worth Lagoon.

Being among the 100 most dangerous cities in the United States in terms of crime rate, Lake Worth City has its share in common criminal activities such as burglary, theft, sex offense and robberies. Although it is a modern city that has access to pretty much everything you may need including infrastructure, it is a city to watch and security needs to be heightened.

Useful links:

1) How to do a background check in Florida – If you plan to move to Florida or open a business, you should know how to carry out an online search on a person’s criminal history (That can be your neighbor or your employee)

2) Crime rates in Florida – Official data released by the FDLA

Teenagers as Young as 16 are Treated as Adults in Court – North Carolina as a Case Study

In North Carolina, a 16-year-old teenager who has committed a crime is prosecuted like an adult. This does not occur anywhere in the United States, only in New York.

However, NC legislators want to change it. Minors should be trialed as minors with the exception of especially serious crimes.

Legislators have so far avoided changing the law mainly due to rising costs: if juveniles are not treated as adults and do not go to jail, the state will have to spend plenty of money on rehabilitation programs. However, criminologist point to the fact that keeping teenagers out of the prison system will reduce recidivism and may turn out to save the authorities plenty of resources in the long run.

Another point worth considering – if the state decides not to prosecute juveniles, crime rates will decrease significantly. There will be less people considered criminals. Of course, if there are not rehabilitation programs available, this reduction in crime rate will be nominal only.

According to various studies, in terms of numbers, increasing prosecution age (“Raise the Age”) will initially cost tax payers in North Carolina around $50 million annually. However, in years to come, thanks to decreased recidivism rate, state’s spending will go lower by more than $100 per year.

The problem is that politicians usually lack the foresight needed for long-term planning. Huge costs entailed in reforming the justice system may hinder any prospects of change.

All other states understood long ago that juveniles should be treated not as harsh as adults. Apart from being immoral (and even unconstitutional), it is a mistake from an economical point of view to treat teens as adults. Let’s hope that NC legislators will come to their senses as soon as possible and will follow other states.