NCJ Number
85477
Date Published
1980
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Crime prevention approaches by criminal justice agencies should include the promotion of social justice, conformity to the law, and action to make it more difficult for crimes to be committed.
Abstract
While the promotion of social justice is a necessarily limited goal of criminal justice agencies, police contribute to it by providing protection and some referral services for citizens who would otherwise be vulnerable to influences that might contribute to deviancy. Corrections promotes social justice by providing therapeutic environments and services to offenders that may modify behavior conditioned by criminogenic influences. Further, police and prosecution agencies construct an effective crime deterrence structure by means of effective investigation, a high clearance rate, and the proper selection of cases for prosecution. The courts further encourage conformity to law through speedy trials and the dispensing of certain and fair punishment. Corrections fosters conformity to law by cultivating law-abiding attitudes and behavior through rehabilitation programs for offenders. The police also aid in crime prevention by instructing citizens in self-protection and undertaking various strategies that make it more difficult for crimes to be committed. The incarceration of offenders incapacitates them so they are unable to commit crimes in the community. All criminal justice agencies contribute to crime prevention by conducting operations that are just and free of corruption.