More police, less prison, less crime? From peel to popper: The case for more scientific policing

In the Feb 2011 issue of Criminology & Public policy, Steven N. Durlauf and Daniel S. Nagin argued that it is a realistic possibility that crime, prison costs, and imprisonment numbers can be reduced simultaneously if policy makers shift from a primary reliance on severity-based policies, mandating lengthy prison terms, to a more effective use of police to make the risks of crime clearer and the consequences of criminal activity faster and more certain. Here, Neyroud looks at Durlauf and Nagin's arguments and seeks to examine whether their proposal for a radical shift in criminal justice policy is capable of being implemented. He examines the potential to improve the effectiveness of the police, which is critical to their arguments. He then concludes by looking at the issue of seriousness, a dimension of the challenge of change that they allude to but needs greater attention.