Futures of Crime in America - An Economic Perspective (From Crime and Criminal Justice in a Declining Economy, P 305-323, 1981, Kevin N Wright, ed. - See NCJ-84138)

• NCJ Number: 84150
• Author(s): C W Eskridge
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: Oelgeschlager, Gunn and Hain Publishers, Inc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Earlier version of this article appeared in 'Cnitty's Law Journal,' January 1978, P 9-16.

Annotation

Greater criminal justice system efficiency and the expanded use of offender-financed victim compensation and court reimbursement can help soften the impact of a declining economy, but only an improved economy can minimize the optimal cost of crime.

Abstract

A mathematical model shows that only an improved economy can minimize the optimal cost of crime; however, during an economic decline, a reduction in law enforcement potency would only increase the rewards of crime and further threaten the physical and economic security of citizens. The challenge of law enforcement and the criminal justice system in reducing the net cost of crime to society is to increase its input-output efficiency. Among the means of optimizing crime costs are offender-financed victim compensation and court reimbursement; however, these efforts to reduce the cost of crime suppression will not overcome the costs to society of crime fueled by the declining American economy. A restitution orientation decreases the cost of suppressing crime through a decreased incarceration rate and the financial payments or fines given the courts by offenders. Reimbursement to victims reduces the economic costs of crime to citizens. The mathematical model indicates that restitution programs can be beneficial until the percentage of offenders enrolled in restitution programs increases to the point where the crimes committed on release produce a cost that exceeds the benefits. Graphic illustrations show the data yielded by the mathematical model, and 25 notes are listed.