NCJ Number
54268
Journal
POLICY SCIENCES Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: (JUNE 1978) Pages: 329-343
Date Published
1978
Length
15 pages
Annotation
A CRITIQUE IS PRESENTED OF JAMES Q. WILSON'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK DEVELOPED IN HIS BOOK 'THINKING ABOUT CRIME,' AND A MODIFICATION OF THAT FRAMEWORK IS PROPOSED.
Abstract
WILSON BRINGS A NEW DIMENSION TO CRIME POLICY RESEARCH BY EXPLAINING THAT, BECAUSE CRIMINOLOGISTS FAIL TO CONSIDER ADEQUATELY THE PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON MAN AND SOCIETY THAT UNDERLIE ALTERNATE POLICY OPTIONS, THEY RARELY APPRECIATE THE INHERENT LIMITATIONS ON GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH CRIME. WILSON'S CONSIDERATION OF THESE LIMITATIONS, TOGETHER WITH HIS CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF CAUSAL ANALYSIS IN CRIMINOLOGICAL THINKING, LEAD HIM TO PROPOSE POLICY ANALYSIS AS AN ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR CRIMINOLOGY. AN EXAMINATION OF WILSON'S ARGUMENTS SUGGESTS THAT POLICY ANALYSIS IS NO LESS PROBLEMATIC AND SHORTSIGHTED THAN CAUSAL ANALYSIS. THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE POLICY ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO FLAWS IN WILSON'S CRITIQUE OF CRIMINOLOGICAL THINKING AND TO HIS INCORPORATION OF HIS OWN BIASES ABOUT HUMAN NATURE INTO THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK. APPROACHES TO REMOVING THIS BIAS AND TO EXPANDING POLICY ANALYSIS INTO A MORE FLEXIBLE, MULTIDIMENSIONAL FRAMEWORK ARE SUGGESTED. SUCH A FRAMEWORK WOULD ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT HUMAN NATURE AND DIFFERENT POLICY GOALS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)