Crime and Justice in the United States and in England and Wales, 1981-96

• NCJ Number: 169284
• Author(s): P A Langan; D P Farrington
• Date Published: October 1998
• Length: 109 pages
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Report (Annual/Periodic)

Annotation

This report presents and compares victimization survey and police statistics on crime in the United States and England and Wales for 1981-96, along with selected court statistics for these countries.

Abstract

Compares crime in the United States and England with respect to crime rates (as measured both by victimization surveys and police statistics), conviction rates, incarceration rates, and length of sentences. Crime rates as measured in victim surveys are all higher in England than the United States. Crime rates as measured in police statistics are higher in England for half of the measured crime types. A person committing serious crime in the United States is generally more likely than one in England to be caught, convicted, and incarcerated. Incarceration sentences are also generally longer in the United States than England.

Appendix tables 26 and 27 were revised on 7/11/00.