George Winslow

George Winslow is a journalist and the author of Capital Crimes, a book that discusses how the global economy affects crime rates. In the following viewpoint Winslow argues that crime is more a matter of economics than morality. Although the dominant view of crime in the United States is that crime is the result of individual criminals making bad decisions, the reality is that crime is largely a product of poverty. Street crime is most rampant in poor neighborhoods, and crime rates rise and fall in proportion to how the national economy is doing. Well-paying jobs, concludes Winslow, are far more effective than police or prisons in reducing crime.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. As of 1991, what percentage of prison inmates earned less than fifteen thousand dollars per year prior to their imprisonment, according to the author?
2. In Winslow...