Roundtable: Violence in America Cities: Policy Makers Should Bring Back Yesterday

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

The increasing violence in America cities deserve the attention of policy makers. Atlanta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; Baltimore, Maryland and Chicago, Illinois are among cities that are experiencing serious violent activities perpetrated by American youths. We should consider yester-years punishment that can persuade these youthful offenders to desist. This round table will discuss the types of punitive sanctions that were used centuries past that can encourage desistance. “Preliminary figures indicate that law enforcement agencies throughout the nation showed an overall increase of 5.3 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention for the first 6 months of 2016 when compared with figures reported for the same time in 2015” UCR, 2016. Attention is most focused on murders in this round table for these cities and others. Why is there such a flagrant disregard for human life by these offenders? What happened to primary prevention? Has our law enforcement apparatus weakened? Will punishment of yester-years provide solutions? Are we really cultivating a “Society of Violent Children”? Obinyan, E. 2011. These questions and others will be scrutinized to determine recommendations.

Sub Unit

• Area XIII: Roundtable Sessions

Chair

• Evaristus Obinyan, Albany State University

Discussants

• Charles Ochie, Albany State University, Georgia

• Hamin Shabazz, Sul Ross State University

• Charles Ubah, Georgia College & State University

• Patrick Ibe, Albany State University

• Justina Okpere-Mohammad, University of Jos, Nigeria

• Dorothy Sule-Aerga, Elizabeth city state university, North Carolina

• Jovita Esechie, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas