[lbo-talk] Police brutality

[Miles Jackson]

Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
>  
>
> The sad truth is that we as society really have no effective means of
> reducing the cycle of crime and violence, but nobody dares to openly admit
> it.  So we have a debate of social work vs police work to create an illusion
> that something can be done - and if it is not, we can always blame the other
> side for screwing thing sup.  
>
>   
This is a bizarre claim contradicted by a mountain of data.  From well 
controlled experiments, we know that social skills training, job 
training, and education programs for prisoners all cause a dramatic 
reduction in recidivism rates.  We have the technology to reduce crime; 
the major political obstacle is people who falsely claim that "criminals 
cannot be rehabilitated".  I know that Woj will brand me as a bleeding 
heart liberal who's soft on rapists and murderers, but them's the facts, 
Jack.

Miles