NCJ Number
41590
Date Published
1976
Length
71 pages
Annotation
THIS BOOK PRESENTS AN ATTEMPT TO GATHER AND ANALYZE THE LITERATURE WHICH TREATS CRIME CONTROL AS A TOPIC IN APPLIED WELFARE ECOMONICS AND TO EXTEND THE ANALYSIS TO A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS NOT COVERED IN THE LITERATURE.
Abstract
THE AUTHOR FIRST EXAMINES THE SUPPLY OF OFFENSES AND OFFENDERS' REACTIONS TO CONTROL AND NON-CONTROL VARIABLES. NOTING THAT THE LEVEL OF OFFENSES RESPONDS TO CHANGES IN SOCIETY'S CONTROL VARIABLES, THE AUTHOR THEN EXAMINES THE PROBLEM OF MINIMIZING THE SOCIAL LOSS FROM OFFENSES - IN OTHER WORDS, HE ATTEMPTS TO DETERMINE THE SOCIALLY OPTIMAL LEVEL OF OFFENSES. FINALLY, THE AUTHOR PRESENTS A METHOD OF DETERMINING THE OPTIMUM LEVELS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM RESPONSE, AND STRESSES THAT THE SEPARATE PARTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM MUST RECOGNIZE THAT FOR EACH PART, THE MAXIMAND IS SYSTEM BENEFITS LESS SYSTEM COSTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) ...DMC