D.C. May Pay At Risk Criminals For Not Committing Crimes

Lawmakers in the District of Columbia are aiming to reward criminals for not committing crimes by paying out a stipend.

The D.C. council voted to approve this bill which includes a section that outlines how residents will be financially rewarded for not committing crimes. Each year, the city will be tasked with identifying up to 200 citizens who are at risk of committing a crime. These individuals will be told to join behavioral therapy and other similar programs. Upon completion of these tasks, if the citizens have not committed any crimes, they will be given a monetary reward.

A similar program went into effect in Richmond, California, where city officials have claimed it help reduce overall crime. Although the D.C. bill does not contain specifics on the money that will be awarded, citizens in the California program can receive up to $9,000 per year.

Democratic councilmember Kenyan McDuffie argued that it is more expensive to prosecute and jail criminals than it would be to pay them for good behavior. McDuffie, who wrote the bill, states her purpose as wanting to prevent violent crime and give these at risk individuals a chance to better themselves.

The D.C. Mayor, Muriel Bowser has not agreed to fund the bill and if rejected, the council will be on its own in finding support for the bill, either through cutting existing costs or increasing current taxes.

Looks like the old saying, “crime doesn’t pay” doesn’t hold true when it comes to the District of Columbia.

Editor’s note:  HOLY CRAP BATMAN!! Need I go into the law of subsidies and how people will now commit crimes in order to get in this program??