Without clear insight into the causes of criminal behavior, or the effectiveness of punishment as a long-term behavioral change agent, it has been widely accepted by the U.S. populace that law violators should be punished.

  The U.S. public has repeatedly voted in politicians who promised to get tuff on crime. Such politicians are a reflection of the belief of the average citizen that harsh punishment will extract just retribution and teach offenders to behave in a more socially acceptable manner. Politicians reflected this belief by drafting laws with stiffer mandatory prison sentences. The problem is that neither behavioral research nor recidivism research substantiates the belief that punishment or the threat of punishment is an effective deterrent to criminal behavior.

  Despite progressively longer periods of incarceration and harsher, more punitive prison sentences, recidivism rates of 50 to 75% or more for released prisoners are commonplace. (Prison Sentencing Project) Behavioral research on the punishment paradigm, widely published almost fifty years ago clearly predicted our extremely high prison recidivism rates. Extensive studies of punishment on behavior document the severe limitations and transitory effect of punishment with regard to establishing and maintaining long-term behavioral change.

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