THE BIGGER PICTURE Shalini SinhaThe evidence is clear. Human beings don't learn from punishment. Rather than curbing and changing behaviour, it escalates anti-social distress. Punishment, by its very definition, is intense and evokes suffering. It is mistreatment, and yet, in our society, it continues to be our best strategy to respond to unacceptable behaviour.
We have a strong commitment to behaviourism, believing that a human will adjust their behaviour to avoid a negative experience. However, the human spirit continuously proves itself more complex. And while exposing more people to punishment (particularly incarceration) doesn't seem to be reducing crime, we continue.
Punishment brings satisfaction: social recognition of fault and social witness to consequences. However, it fails to develop insight, rehabilitation or reconciliation (for anyone). Even more damaging is how it promotes a feeling of superiority - the subjugation and repression of someone who has hurt us, consensus that we were right and they were wrong, and licence to maintain a cycle of dehumanisation.
Punishment does seem to serve a purpose. It provides social recognition that someone's behaviour hurt another and this is not tolerated. The question remains, is the individual tolerated? Do we care to discover how this person became a perpetrator, and how he or she can recover?
The fact remains, the human instinct is to be loving and connected. Thus, truly understanding crime will mean facing the causes and consequences of human distress in all its complexities and truths. We are each capable of hurtful behaviour, of being victims and so becoming perpetrators. Most importantly, we are capable of healing and reconciliation.
Punishment is short-sighted and, to date, has proven largely ineffective. 'Deterrents' do not deter when the factors driving the human are not addressed. While it might seem safe, immediate and cheap to lock someone away, we cannot indefinitely keep captive increasing numbers of people. The longer they are left - oppressed, forgotten, without belief or support - the worse the distress becomes. Their hopelessness is confirmed and crime rises.
Despite how obvious the facts have been for so long that prison does not work, we see no social resistance or leadership against punishment. As a society, we are not in good enough shape to deal with our problems.
Thus, it suits us to lock them away. Each of us is over-stretched, under-loved, under-supported and exploited in today's system. We suffer more isolation, lower self-esteem, less certainty and security than ever before. There is a reason why we struggle with such violence, abuse, drug addiction and crime. It is an indication less of the number of 'bad' people we have, and more a symptom of the decays of the system as a whole. As a group, we simply haven't the social and psychological resources to do better.
The greatest barrier to doing better is our lack of belief that the recovery of every human is possible. Our system does not allow us to take risks, make mistakes, even lose a little as we try to understand and re-connect to each other. Our leaders rely on image and rhetoric to be elected, reacting to widespread fear in order to secure their posts. However, pockets of individuals, families and communities fight for us. Community development involves risk, people, resources and time. Once in place, however, it runs along at minimal costs and prevents crime. Most importantly, it requires us to listen to the experiences of the most disempowered and disenfranchised people in our group, and prioritise their needs.
It similarly allows dominant groups to come down from their pedestals and become equal members of the community - no less or more, thus allowing us to share responsibility.
Most of our crime is a response to deep inequalities and human distress. It is only possible when we become disconnected from each other, can dehumanise each other and gain ways to numb ourselves from the pain it causes. Crime is a clear indication that society is not working well.
Our economy - of which we are so proud - promotes greed and is based on taking from some for the use of others. This formula ensures a need for expression through crime. Thus, eliminating crime will necessarily involve addressing the needs of our perpetrators.
Crime is a social disease, not an individual one. Reconciliation involves a commitment to perpetrators alongside everyone else. It is not good enough simply to lock them away.
As human beings, they are dynamic and can play a hopeful part in the process. They need us to believe in them, and we need them to be complete in order to build a genuinely successful society.
ssinha@irish-times.ie
Shalini Sinha is an independent producer and journalist, and a counsellor on equality issues. She has lectured on women's studies in UCD and is co-presenter of Mono, RTÉ's intercultural programme.