How Crime Begins (Client Responses)
When attempting to service clients, it is good to have an idea of why they do the things that they do. Many thinkers attribute the negative behavior to a lack of good character. I beg to differ. So we surveyed several of our current clients and asked 3 questions:
1) How old were you when you committed your first crime?
2) Who did it with you?
3) How did you get better at it?
Our first respondent, L.B. answered:
1) I was about 17. I stole money from the safe at the bowling lanes where my mother and I both worked.
2) Me, alone.
3) Over the years, I worked as a cashier. It wasn't that I really needed the money, I just thought it was cool that I could weave and twist things so that they could balance and not get caught.
L.B. was convicted of stealing over $250,000 from her employer at the age of 41.
Respondent #2, G.G answered:
1) I did my first crime when I was about 16 years old. I started selling drugs because I grew up around drugs.
2) I started off with a friend of mine.
3) I was good at math and I had a good place to sell it.
G.G. was convicted of selling crack cocaine on several occasions. He is 33 years old.
Respondent #3, G.O answered:
1) I was 15 or 16 when I committed my first crime, I stole my grandma's car.
2) Nobody actually stole it with me, but I joyrode with a couple of my homeboys.
3) I got better at it by making copies of her car keys and gate keys. I kinda studied her sleeping habits to know when it was safe to get the car and what time I needed to have it back by.
G.O. was convicted of selling crack cocaine several times. He is 28 years old.
The reason we asked these questions is to give us a better understanding of the age to intervene in the lives of the young people we are mentoring. From these 3 cases, you see that all of the activity began before adulthood.
One issue that occurs when asking these questions is the conductor of the study generally has a background that makes the respondent uncomfortable, so the respondent gives answers that are half true because of fear and sometimes because of shame. In our program, we all have criminal records, so there is no place for shame and trust is never an issue.
We are continuing to conduct these unscientific studies, and I will relay the results. We are determined to reduce recidivism!
1) How old were you when you committed your first crime?
2) Who did it with you?
3) How did you get better at it?
Our first respondent, L.B. answered:
1) I was about 17. I stole money from the safe at the bowling lanes where my mother and I both worked.
2) Me, alone.
3) Over the years, I worked as a cashier. It wasn't that I really needed the money, I just thought it was cool that I could weave and twist things so that they could balance and not get caught.
L.B. was convicted of stealing over $250,000 from her employer at the age of 41.
Respondent #2, G.G answered:
1) I did my first crime when I was about 16 years old. I started selling drugs because I grew up around drugs.
2) I started off with a friend of mine.
3) I was good at math and I had a good place to sell it.
G.G. was convicted of selling crack cocaine on several occasions. He is 33 years old.
Respondent #3, G.O answered:
1) I was 15 or 16 when I committed my first crime, I stole my grandma's car.
2) Nobody actually stole it with me, but I joyrode with a couple of my homeboys.
3) I got better at it by making copies of her car keys and gate keys. I kinda studied her sleeping habits to know when it was safe to get the car and what time I needed to have it back by.
G.O. was convicted of selling crack cocaine several times. He is 28 years old.
The reason we asked these questions is to give us a better understanding of the age to intervene in the lives of the young people we are mentoring. From these 3 cases, you see that all of the activity began before adulthood.
One issue that occurs when asking these questions is the conductor of the study generally has a background that makes the respondent uncomfortable, so the respondent gives answers that are half true because of fear and sometimes because of shame. In our program, we all have criminal records, so there is no place for shame and trust is never an issue.
We are continuing to conduct these unscientific studies, and I will relay the results. We are determined to reduce recidivism!