CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA - FACT OR FANTASY (FROM CRIMINOLOGY - NEW CONCERNS, 1979, BY EDWARD SAGARIN - SEE NCJ-59332)

• NCJ Number: 59334
• Author(s): C L NEWMAN
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A STUDY OF PROBLEMS (SUCH AS THE CAUSE OF AND SOLUTION TO CRIME) CONFRONTING CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SUPPORTS THE CONTENTION THAT THESE TWO FIELDS HAVE FAILED TO DEVELOP A PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP.

Abstract

THE ISOLATION OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIELD FROM ACADEMIC CRIMINOLOGY CAN NO LONGER CONTINUE. THE NEED TO END THIS ISOLATION IS EVIDENT IN THE FACT THAT NEITHER AN EMPIRICALLY VALIDATED STATEMENT ON THE CAUSES OF CRIME NOR A NATIONAL STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH CRIMINALS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BROAD-BASED CRIMINOLOGY FACULTY IN TERMS OF FUNCTION, THEORETIC REFERENCE, AND INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM COULD SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR A NEW WORKING PARTNERSHIP. IN ADDITION, PEOPLE FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM CAN MAKE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO ACADEMIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE REALITIES OF THE SYSTEM. THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH AN APPROACH IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP A UNIFIED FIELD CONCEPT, FOR THESE TWO PROFESSIONS, WHICH DESCRIBES PROBLEMS AND SEEKS SOLUTIONS TO SIMILAR GOALS. A COMMON PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH SHOULD ALSO BE DEVELOPED. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)