NCJ Number
10963
Date Published
1973
Length
96 pages
Annotation
CASE STUDY EVALUATION OF CRIME, CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND CITIZEN ATTITUDES IN RURAL TOWN DESCRIBES CRIME TYPE, SYSTEM FUNCTIONING, AND NEEDS.
Abstract
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RURAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE EXISTENCE OF A UNIFYING FOLK ETHIC. THIS IS THE CONCLUSION DRAWN BY THE AUTHORS OF THIS 1972 CASE STUDY OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OF AN OHIO COMMUNITY OF 11,250 WHICH THEY CALL LINCOLN. TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF OUTSIDE FUNDING ON THE COMMUNITY, THE AUTHORS CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF ALL LEVELS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THIS EXAMINATION INVOLVED STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH A 10 PERCENT RANDOM SAMPLE OF HOUSEHOLDS, 54 BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS, MEMBERS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY AND COUNTY PROSECUTORS, AND THE MUNICIPAL AND COMMON PLEAS COURT JUDGES. DATA WERE GATHERED ON REPORTED OFFENSES, BOTH REPORTED AND UNREPORTED HOUSEHOLD AND BUSINESS VICTIMIZATION, JUDICIAL POLICIES, PRACTICES AND PERSONNEL, AND CITIZEN PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION ISSUES. THESE FINDINGS WERE INTERPRETED AND COMPARED WITH BASE-LINE DATA FROM COMPARABLE 1969-70 STUDIES. THE COMMUNITY'S CRIME PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS, ARE THEN RELATED TO THOSE OF LARGE URBAN AREAS AND THE DIFFERENCES ARE NOTED. IN CONSIDERING SOLUTIONS TO RURAL CRIME PROBLEMS, THE AUTHORS DISCUSS THE INAPPROPRIATENESS OF MOVING TOWARD GREATER POLICE PROFESSIONALISM AS METROPOLITAN SYSTEMS HAVE DONE. GREATER PROFESSIONALISM, THEY CONTEND, IS GENERALLY ACCOMPANIED BY INCREASED FORMALIZATION AND IMPERSONALIZATION, BOTH OF WHICH WOULD ERODE THE FOLK ETHIC TRADITIONALLY SUPPORTING RURAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. THEY THEREFORE RECOMMEND THAT ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS WHICH WOULD CAPITALIZE ON THE FOLK ETHIC SHOULD BE FOUND. EVALUATION TOOLS AND DATA SUMMARIES USED APPEAR IN THE REPORT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)