NCJ Number
169671
Date Published
1996
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper identifies ways in which non-governmental institutions may contribute to criminal justice.
Abstract
The paper presents forms by which state activity can be shared with or devolved upon private interests, in descending order of state intrusion or coerciveness: (1) Conscription, whereby government simply commands third parties to assist with law enforcement or regulation; (2) Required private interface, such as the requirement that the financial accounts of public companies be audited regularly by formally accredited professionals, an important deterrent to illegality; (3) Required record-keeping and disclosure, which process itself has a regulatory function; (4) Cooperation with private interests, in both detailed contractual arrangements and relatively casual ones; and (5) Conferring entitlements, such as systems of patent, trademark and copyright, and leaving enforcement to the private parties. Whether it is the public or private sector that carries out law enforcement is no longer the question. The design and guidance of hybrid law enforcement systems is the essential task for government in the next century. References