Pandemics and riots: What do they tell us about crime, recidivism, and health?

Abstract

The current practice, and primary focus, of the criminal justice system and medical care are on the individual. However, pandemics and riots lay bare the limitations of long-standing assumptions which underlie both individual criminal rehabilitation (e.g., juvenile justice) and individualized, precision medicine. Both recent research and historical studies make clear that societal inequities play an important role in criminality and health outcomes. We present examples drawn from juvenile justice and healthcare, which show that interventions based upon the individual, no matter how well intended, can have unforeseen and iatrogenic consequences. We suggest that an excessive focus on the individual leads to poor allocation of resources that could be used to improve important social determinants of both health and criminality. However, we also express the caveat that social interventions may carry their own unintended consequences which must be anticipated.