NCJ Number
77124
Date Published
1980
Length
186 pages
Annotation
Narrative information and tabular data reflecting criminal activity and the response of the justice system of the Commonwealth of Virginia during fiscal year 1979 are presented in this annual report; earlier data are highlighted.
Abstract
The report is intended to serve as a resource for the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of State and local government to cope with the problems of crime and delinquency, and to increase the effectiveness of the justice system. The three major sections of the report include an assessment of crime and justice; system efforts, impacts, gaps, and problems; and suggested solutions. The latter two sections focus on the topics of crime prevention, law enforcement, adjudication, adult corrections, juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Materials are based on information furnished by the Virginia Department of Corrections, the department of mental health and mental retardation, the department of State police, planning district commissions, and individual localities. Analysis of crime trends reveals that changes in Virginia crime rates correlate quite highly with U.S. crime rates. Although Virginia ranks 13th among the States in population, Virginia ranked 33rd in 1978 in crime rates, with a rate of 4,073 index crimes per 100,000 population. Concerning possible solutions to the crime problem, a mechanism should be initiated at the State level to direct and coordinate a largely volunteer service delivery network dedicated to providing crime prevention services to all segments of the population. The introduction and assimilation of integrated criminal apprehension program concepts, such as crime analysis, career criminal prosecution, directed patrol, and application of crime prevention strategies would assist in improving the crime detection, investigation, and apprehension capabilities of law enforcement agencies. Footnotes, five appendixes of related data, and extensive tables and figures are provided.