Minimizing Harm

Research suggests that crime prevention is generally more effective than harsh punishment. But the public fears victimization and demands punishment for the perpetrators of its fears. Consequently, any policy that moves toward prevention, treatment, and alternative modes of punishment must simultaneously move toward reducing the level of victimization in a direct and readily comprehensible manner. The fifteen authors of this volume articulate a pragmatic crime policy for America which combines academic insights about crime prevention with the realities of contemporary politics. The studies collectively outline a coherent policy that centers on "minimizing harm," as opposed to retribution, eliminating crime, or solving the social problems that generate criminal behavior. Minimizing harm implies a compromise between the best current research and the concerns of citizens. The book consists of four principal studies focusing on public attitudes toward crime, prevention, alternative sanctions, and drug policy. Each study is accompanied by two commentaries.

Edward L. Rubin is professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley.