[i_feel_great]

Happens where I have lived: New Zealand and Australia. But I can never figure it out: which one causes which?

Being on welfare closes a vast amount of opportunities to people, which causes many to turn to crime.

Bring a criminal closes a vast amount of opportunities to people, which causes people to turn to welfare.

[arethuza]

Actually, speaking of Australia - as 20% of Australians are apparently descended from convicts shipped there from the UK shouldn't Austrialia be suffering from terrible levels of crime?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convicts_in_Australia

NB As far as I can tell it isn't.... :-)