Recent violent crimes in Kansas City and St. Louis have led to familiar calls for tougher laws and longer prison sentences. Whenever a tragedy happens, the public is told the same thing — that the solution is to be “tougher on crime.” This overly simplistic knee-jerk “solution” has repeatedly proven to be ineffective and costly. Increasing punishment does not fix the real problems in the criminal justice system, and it does not make our communities safer.
The debate is often framed as harsh sentences versus leniency, but that is the wrong question. The real issue is whether the system works at all. Research, including findings from the National Institute of Justice, consistently shows that people are not deterred by the length of a possible sentence. What actually deters crime is the likelihood of being caught and held accountable. When offenders believe there is a good chance they will never be arrested or prosecuted, adding more years to a sentence has little effect.
We see this problem every day. Cases take too long to investigate, charges are filed inconsistently, and resources are stretched thin. When the system fails to act quickly and fairly, lawmakers respond by increasing penalties instead of fixing the underlying issues. That approach is not only ineffective, it is costly and unjust. Longer sentences mean overcrowded prisons, higher taxpayer expense, and harsher consequences that often fall unevenly on certain communities.
Public safety depends on certainty, not severity. Solving cases, improving investigations, and making sure the process is fair and efficient will do far more to prevent crime than simply raising sentencing ranges. A justice system that relies on extreme punishment to make up for weak enforcement is not a strong system — it is a broken one.
Accountability matters, but so does fairness. Real reform means building a system that works consistently, protects constitutional rights, and focuses on prevention instead of reaction. Harsher sentences may sound tough, but they are not the answer. Certainty, fairness, and due process are what actually make communities safer.