At The Atlantic, David Frum has an article on “Can America Have Fewer Prisoners Without More Crime?” that is receiving some attention within conservative circles. Frum’s article is thoughtful and offers some wise cautionary advice regarding whether or not crime policies in the U.S. should be changed in light of the declining American crime rate since the early 1990s.  But in the social sciences, as with the natural sciences, the devil is in the details – and there are some details that need to be discussed. Within the context of the crime policy debate, Frum compares the decline in the U.S. crime rate to that in some other Western nations: Change is in the air, however. For one thing, the present U.S. approach to crime-fighting is hugely expensive. A year in prison costs state taxpayers an average of $31,000. In California, the cost rises to $47,000, thanks to higher health costs and a powerful prison-guard union. Other democracies have achieved...(Read Full Post)