NCJ Number
170715
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 59 Issue: 5 Dated: (August 1997) Pages: 138-140
Date Published
1997
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article examines the importance of crime in recent national political affairs of Great Britain and Canada.
Abstract
Debate on crime in Great Britain's recent elections reflects an "Americanization" of ideas, including being tough on juvenile crime, decentralizing authority for prosecution, cracking down on hate crimes, creating a drug czar, instituting random prison drug testing and increasing awareness of victims' rights. Canada shows fewer similarities to the United States on the issue of crime, spending significantly less for crime prevention efforts on a per-capita basis. Although many criminal justice issues, such as victims' rights, community notification, parole and sentencing, are prominent in debates in both countries, the tone appears much more subdued in Canada because the crime rate there is very low. It remains to be seen how the new ruling parties in Great Britain and Canada will implement their campaign promises with regard to criminal justice, but it is clear that criminal justice and correctional issues remain a vital part of political debates in many Western cultures.