NCJ Number
133699
Date Published
Unknown
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This project's objectives are to specify criteria by which hate crimes in Massachusetts can be identified, establish a system for reporting hate crimes, estimate the prevalence of hate crimes, and offer recommendations for enhancing the criminal justice system response to hate crimes.
Abstract
The project will entail secondary analysis of existing data on hate crime investigations for the city of Boston, in-depth interviews with police officers and community activists involved in investigating hate crimes, and a community survey of hate crime victimization. The project will also conduct meetings with criminal justice officials; provide training materials and guidelines in hate crime identification, investigation, and reporting for police departments; and work with the Criminal Justice Training Council in Massachusetts to develop hate crime curricula. Existing data bases on civil rights crimes in Massachusetts will also be used. In addition, the project will incorporate results of the National Crime Survey in the victimization research. The nature of hate crime as a pervasive social problem and as a serious component of criminal activity is discussed. Strategies for identifying and preventing hate crimes in several States are described including legislative efforts. Procedures to be followed in the current project are detailed with emphasis on the Boston case study, interviews, the victimization survey, sampling procedures, questionnaire construction, and data analysis.