NCJ Number
47727
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE HISTORICAL FAILURE OF CRIME PREVENTION INITIATIVES, ESPECIALLY AS REGARDS CANADA, ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
IT IS NOTED THAT THE HISTORICAL RECORD OF FAILURE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SHOULD TEACH SOCIETY THAT EXCESSIVE INTERVENTION BY THE STATE IN INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT OFTEN DEGRADES THE ACTORS INVOLVED AND EXACERBATES RATHER THAN RESOLVES THE CONFLICT. IT IS ARGUED THAT THE ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE OF A HUMANE CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM IS A GREATER PUBLIC TOLERANCE FOR DEVIANCE AND UNREST. FURTHER, IT IS ARGUED THAT A CASE CANNOT BE MADE TO SUPPORT THE EXISTING PUBLIC CONTENTION THAT CRIME IS OUT OF HAND. IT IS NOTED THAT SINCE 1960, THE CRIME RATE HAS INCREASED AND THAT THE PUBLIC PANIC REGARDING FEAR OF RAGING CRIME IS BASED ON THESE SHORT-TERM STATISTICS. LONGER-TERM ANALYSIS, HOWEVER, SUGGEST THAT CRIME HAS NOT BEEN GETTING MUCH WORSE IN THE COURSE OF THE 20TH CENTURY. ALTHOUGH IT IS OFTEN ARGUED THAT SOCIETY IS MORE ORDERLY AND LESS VIOLENT THAN A CENTURY AGO, NEVERTHELESS, MANY CANADIANS REMAINED CONVINCED THAT SOCIETY IS MORE VIOLENT THAN EVER AND REMAIN SEEMINGLY IMPERVIOUS TO REASSURING HISTORICAL ARGUMENTS. PART OF THE FOUNDATION OF THIS ANOMALY MAY LAY IN THE FACT THAT WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT CRIME THEY ALSO TEND TO REFER TO TRADE UNION VIOLENCE, STUDENT MILITANCY, RACIAL TENSION, AND POLITICAL UNREST; THEY REGARD CRIME AS ONLY ONE OF MANY SIGNS OF LAWLESSNESS, THE BREAKDOWN OF RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY IN THE HOME, THE STREETS, THE COURTS, AND THE WORKPLACE. HISTORICALLY, THIS HABIT OF DEFINING CRIME AS ONE SYMPTOM OF A PATHOLOGY OF LAWLESSNESS IS FAMILIAR; IT IS NOTED THAT THE PUBLIC PERCEIVES CRIME ACCORDING TO THE VANTAGE POINT OF CLASS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE WHITE CANADIAN PROPERTY OWNERS' INDIGNATION ABOUT CRIME IS FUELED BY RELATED INDIGNATION ABOUT LAWLESS WORKERS, IMMIGRANTS, STUDENTS, AND NATIVE PEOPLES. IT IS ARGUED THAT THE ONGOING CLAMOR FOR THE REINTRODUCTION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN CANADA REPRESENTS THE MIDDLECLASS DESIRE TO MAKE SOME DRAMATIC REASSERTION OF SOCIAL AUTHORITY AT A TIME OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL UNREST, AND THAT THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO A HUMANE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS THE PUBLIC'S EXAGGERATED EXPECTATION THAT IT SHOULD SERVE AS THE CONSCIENCE AND SWORD OF SOCIETY. IT IS NOTED THAT IF HELPING TO CREATE A MORE TOLERANT AND RELAXED ATTITUDE TOWARD CRIME IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD A HUMANE SYSTEM OF CRIME PREVENTION, THE SECOND IS TO LEARN THE LESSONS OF THE PAST. THESE INCLUDE: (1) PUTTING MORE POLICE OFFICERS IN THE STREETS HAS NEVER HAD MUCH EFFECT ON THE INCIDENCE OF MAJOR CRIME; (2) INCARCERATING OFFENDERS UNDER INHUMANE CONDITIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF BOTH CRIME PREVENTION AND OFFENDER PUNISHMENT IS CONTRADICTORY AND INEFFECTIVE; (3) INSTITUTIONAL REGIMENS ARE GENERALLY UNSUCCESSFUL IN REFORMING INMATES; AND (4) THAT PERHAPS THE UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH OF THE STATE'S APPARATUS OF REPRESSION AND CONTROL HAS SERVED TO DAMAGE SOCIETY MORE THAN THE RATHER CONSTANT LEVEL OF CRIME ITSELF. NOTES ARE INCLUDED. A TABLE IS APPENDED WHICH BREAKS DOWN THE RATE OF CONVICTIONS PER 100,000 POPULATION FOR INDICTABLE OFFENSES OF PERSONS 16 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER BY YEAR, FROM 1891 THROUGH 1959. FOR DISCUSSION, SEE NCJ-47729. (KBL)