Crime Case - Federal Bureau of Investigation - Crime Numbers Nationwide

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation website, in 2010 there were an estimated 1,246,248 violent crimes nationwide. With the amount of crime that happens in the United States, policy makers should be addressing crime as a matter of individual responsibility and accountability. Society’s dysfunctionality should not be taken into effect when a person commits a crime. (Violent Crime, 2011)

Individual responsibility and accountability assumes that a person has intentionally decided to break the laws that govern those with in a country. The maxim "Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time" is a warning to those deciding to break the law. If you are caught, you will be punished; your law breaking requires reparations.

When an individual decides to commit a hate crime, they are dismissing the idea of right vs. wrong. They believe that their crimes are justifiable, since they are relegating the person or group as inferior or a non-entity. Therefore, it is "acceptable" to abuse them. In Laramie, Wyoming on October 12, 1998 Matthew Shepard died five days after he was rescued from a Wyoming ranch. He was kidnapped, robbed, pistol-whipped and left for dead tied to a fence for 18 hours in near freezing temperatures. Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney were charged with murder and were sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison. (New Details Emerge in Matthew Shepard Murder, 2004)

When an individual chooses to commit a "white-collar crime", they believe the personal benefits will outweigh the cost of disobeying the law. When Bernard “Bernie” Madoff plead guilty to 11 federal felonies and had admitted to turning his wealth management business into a massive Ponzi scheme, he had defrauded thousands of investors of billions of dollars. The momentary, immediate wealth he received was more important to him than the future consequences of his actions. (McCoy, 2009 )

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