In the novel, “The Scarlet Letter,” Hester Prynne is ridiculed and beaten down by society for a crime of passion. To punish her, they make her wear a scarlet letter and ostracize her from all parts of life. Branded as a criminal, she would never again be treated with respect or courtesy, causing her to go down a rocky path of redemption in not only the eyes of God, but of the community.

This had me asking the question, what is the outcome of ostracizing criminals from society?

One way pushing criminals away from society can help is through the financial boost it could cause. According to authors Kevin A. Hasset and Robert J. Shapiro, crime imposes, “concrete economic costs on the victims who survive as well as the families of those who lose their lives.” With less crime, we can help many families save money and in the process and invest in their future.

The financial burden crime places on people is extraordinary. Hasset and Shapiro believe that, “medical care for assault victims,... costs an estimated 4.3 billions dollars per year.” That and the inevitable legal fees and insurance costs, will add up to unbelievable numbers. With costs like these, a family can take a serious financial beating from crime. It has also been found that reductions in crime can not only lead to safer streets and fuller wallets, but a bigger budget.

It may surprise you to know that cities and states are often burden by excessive spending to fight crime. However, this means that when crime drops, this spending can be lowered to create more wealth to spend on other programs. Shapiro and Hasset state that, “the estimated savings for municipal budgets from a 25 percent reduction in violent crime range from $6 million per year in Seattle to $12 million per year in Boston and Milwaukee, to $42 million per year in Philadelphia and $59 million for Chicago.” All of that money is now available to help others in that community and go to projects like parks and infrastructure. Crime has a severe economic impact on the world it inhabits and stoping it can have fantastic results.