Fels chief talks on defiance

Harsh punishment is often the way that society deals with criminals. What happens when this type of punishment blows up in society's face was the subject of yesterday's lecture by Lawrence Sherman, the director of the Fels Center of Government. Sherman, a noted criminologist who was hired by Penn last summer, delivered the Albert M. Greenfield Memorial Lecture -- entitled "The Defiant Imagination: Consilience and the Science of Sanctions" -- before an audience of about 100 students, professors and government officials from around the world. In his talk, Sherman examined the question of why punishment sometimes leads to more crime, whereas non-punitive alternative strategies often reduce the occurrence of repeated crimes. The purpose of the lecture, Sherman told the audience, was "to try to understand why citizens are defiant of authority." He based his talk on research conducted by Sociology Professor Elijah Anderson, who separated societal codes of conduct into a "street" code and a "decent" code. Sherman argued that a "street" sanction -- which would include imprisonment, for instance -- on a "street" person can actually produce more crime. The "decent" code of conduct comprises such characteristics as a hopeful outlook, possession of mainstream values and respect of authority. The "street" code, conversely, is based on a bitter outlook, anti-system values and disrespect for authority. Citing research such as the Milwaukee Domestic Violence Arrest Experiment, Sherman argued for a system of sanctions founded on equality, fair procedures, respect by authorities and the use of moral appeals over threats. "I've been working on the research for over 10 years. The sometimes contradictory nature of sanctions puzzled and intrigued me," Sherman said during the reception that followed his lecture. "Sometimes when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail." The reforms that Sherman suggested are designed to soften the conduct of authorities when developing sanctions for crime prevention. In the Milwaukee experiment, Sherman found that the unemployed are more likely to commit a subsequent assault if they were arrested. Among the employed, however, the situation was reversed with a higher chance of assault if there was no arrest. Sherman also presented evidence on police activity, education and discipline of children that suggested that mutual respect is more effective in preventing crime than overzealous police enforcement. Both students and adults said Sherman's lecture presented a unique approach to minimizing crime in society. "The lecture presented a breakthrough concept that needs to be further researched. It was interesting how disrespectful police lead to more crime," said Jerry Lee, president of B101 Radio. "I thought that Dr. Sherman was very good. He touched on some of the same topics in class," said College junior John DeLong, a student in Sherman's "Deviance and Social Control" class. "I hope he gets the opportunity to do additional experiments."

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