One of the hallmark contributions from the work of the integrated and life-course or developmental theorists was the discovery that what occurs during early childhood is both correlative and predictive of future criminal behavior, possibly for the entire lifespan of an individual. The implication of this knowledge was that early intervention is the key to helping children avoid a life of crime. However, despite this criminological revelation, hospitals and clinics report an increasing number of very young children exhibiting violent behavior, yet many are turned away because of lack of space, resources, and/or personnel.
What do you think it is about the social and political structure of American society that causes us to tend to incarcerate and detain juveniles and adult offenders, rather than put sufficient resources and personnel into supporting early childhood intervention programs?