Since Nov. 2011, the Madison Police Department has been working with the Community Against Violence Team as part of their focused deterrence program, which is meant to offer support to violent repeat offenders while making it clear their violence and law-breaking will not be tolerated. It includes close monitoring of the convicts once they are released from prison and harsh punishment for future infractions.
Support offered for the repeat offenders comes from several community groups and includes access to education as well as assistance with housing and job searches; these are necessary skills for escaping the cycle of crime these people are caught in.
A little over one year later, the program has seen mixed results, but each case has proven the importance of the policy to public safety in Madison.
Take Damien Smith for example, a 22-year-old man with confirmed involvement in the drug trade and suspected involvement in several Madison shootings. At the very first Notification Call-In Meeting for the focused deterrence program late last year, Smith allegedly came bearing an open bullet wound, denied the resources offered him and returned almost immediately to selling heroin and crack cocaine.
Just days ago, Smith was convicted and sentenced to an additional 12 years in prison for his crimes. Because of the program’s promise of stiffer penalties, he will likely not get parole, keeping him off the streets and making it impossible for him to cause any more harm to Madison citizens.
While one might argue Smith is proof of the program’s failure, he actually proves its success. The police followed through, exacting punishment in accordance with the policy and keeping a criminal off the streets in a more effective manner than before. Several similar cases, like Emon Hollins, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison after his probation was revoked, and Eric Alston, who is now spending 12 years in prison, reaffirm the police department’s stance that infractions will not be tolerated. The crimes committed by these men are serious and are finally being treated that way.
Though many cases have resulted in imprisonment, there is a distinct possibility, as the program is solidified, that repeat offenders will become successful, educated, productive members of society if they take advantage of the resources offered them, particularly education. Lack of education is consistently cited as a major contributing factor to the likelihood of a person’s involvement in crimes. If more repeat offenders take advantage of the education resources presented as part of the program, there will almost certainly be a shift from imprisonment to employment.
Even with the high rates of re-imprisonment, the Madison Police Department is heavily supported in their efforts. David Kennedy, the director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, sang the program’s praises in October at the Monona Terrace. He told law enforcement officials, “What you have done is extraordinary.” Kennedy said the program was not only working, but it should also be applied to other targeted groups, such as drunk drivers and street robbers. Perhaps if we take his advice, Madison will see a successful drop in a variety of types of crimes, improving the city’s safety as a whole.
This is clearly a successful program, and an important one to continue. Even in cases where past offenders offend again, the public can be sure they won’t be freed as quickly as they might have been before police implemented focused deterrence. In the future, hopefully the number of repeat offenders reached by the program will increase—only 30 violent repeat offenders have been contacted to date—and the number utilizing the education, job search and housing opportunities will also rise, leading to a safer environment for Madison’s students and families.
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