Zero tolerance

This article is about the general type of punishment policy. For other uses, see Zero tolerance (disambiguation).
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NYPD Times Square sign

A zero-tolerance policy is one which imposes a punishment for every infraction of a stated rule.[1][2][3] Zero-tolerance policies forbid people in positions of authority from exercising discretion or changing punishments to fit the circumstances subjectively; they are required to impose a predetermined punishment regardless of individual culpability, extenuating circumstances, or history. This predetermined punishment, whether mild or severe, is always meted out.

Zero-tolerance policies are studied in criminology and are common in both formal and informal policing systems around the world. The policies also appear in informal situations where there may be sexual harassment or Internet misuse in educational and workplace environments. In 2014, the mass incarceration in the United States based upon low-level offenses has resulted in an outcry on the use of zero tolerance in schools and communities.[4][5]

Little evidence supports the claimed effectiveness of zero-tolerance policies.[6] One underlying problem is that there are a great many reasons why people hesitate to intervene, or to report behavior they find to be unacceptable or unlawful. Zero-tolerance policies address, at best, only a few of these reasons.[7]

  1. ^ zero tolerance, n. (under zero, n.). The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Ed. 1989. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  2. ^ zero tolerance. (n.d.). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Ed. Retrieved 10 November 2009, Dictionary.com.
  3. ^ "Zero Tolerance". Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionaries Online. Cambridge University. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  4. ^ Ben-Moshe, L., Chapman, C. & Carey, A.C. (2014). Disability Incarcerated: Imprisonment and Disability in the United States and Canada. NY, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
  5. ^ Ervelles, N. (2014). Crippin' Jim Crow: Disability, Dis-location, and the School to Prison Pipeline[dead link‍]. In: Carey, A., Ben-Moshe, L., & Chapman, C., Disability Incarcerated: Imprisonment and Disability in the United States and Canada. NY, NY: Palgrave MacMillan.
  6. ^ Rowe & Bendersky, 2002
  7. ^ 'Dealing with—or Reporting—"Unacceptable" Behavior – with additional thoughts about the Bystander Effect' 2009 Mary Rowe MIT, Linda Wilcox HMS, Howard Gadlin NIH, JIOA, vol 2, no 1, p. 52.