Crime and Poverty in Jamaica

POVERTY AND CRIME IN JAMAICA

For many years, Caribbean society has been faced with several ongoing social problems such as poverty and crime. A social problem is “A social condition or a pattern of behaviour that people believe warrants public concern and collective action to bring about change” (Kendall, 2004). Although the definition and measurement of poverty remains a controversial issue among various countries, it can be broadly described as insufficient resources for an adequate standard of living. Crime is defined as any deviant act that breaks the law of the land. One main Caribbean country that has been significantly affected by both these problems is Jamaica.

Despite the decline in poverty in Jamaica since the 1990’s, it is still viewed as a major concern for much of Jamaica’s population. Jamaica’s educational sector is greatly affected by poverty as students may struggle to acquire necessities such as school supplies and food in order to concentrate in classes. Adversely, this has given rise to an increase in unemployment, and underemployment in the society as a whole. This problem also may have resulted in a sense of inferiority, thereby creating a desire for these individuals to make money no matter the cost. Thus, poverty in Jamaica has even lead to individuals committing criminal acts such as illegal drug dealing, prostitution, an increase in robberies, illegal gangs and even intentional homicide.

A number of mechanisms can be developed to address the issue of poverty. Some general methods of alleviating poverty include, creating safety nets for poor citizens such as national insurance schemes and introducing programmes such as school feeding and public works or unemployment relief. Also, some measures include establishing poverty monitoring and measurement, promoting economic growth by addressing marketing and infrastructure constraints such as transportation, housing and electricity, improving public health facilities,...