NCJ Number
86998
Date Published
1982
Length
315 pages
Annotation
This book analyzes definitions and explanations of criminal behavior, the operation of the court system and the sentencing process, and the effectiveness of established penal measures.
Abstract
What constitutes criminal behavior, the purposes of the criminal law, and the scope of criminology are among the topics considered in defining and measuring criminal behavior. In providing an understanding of criminal behavior, a chapter considers constitutional, physical, psychiatric, and psychological explanations of criminal behavior. Sentencing measures for various categories of offenders are also discussed, including adults, juveniles, and the mentally ill offender. The overall management of offenders is considered as well. The final chapter considers the relative penal effectiveness of shorter or longer sentences, the effects of different institutional regimes, special institutional programs, custodial or noncustodial penalties, and variations in noncustodial measures. Individualized intervention efforts designed to achieve modest goals and which monitor treatment effects rigorously are considered to offer the best hope for effective offender management. Evaluative research is noted to have shown there is no single panacea for the crime problem, which calls into question limited sentencing practices that have been persistently used without accomplishing the intended effect. About 50 references and name and subject indexes are provided.