NCJ Number
166204
Date Published
1997
Length
50 pages
Annotation
During the past decade, spurred by claims that the United States is experiencing a hate crime epidemic, Congress and most States have enacted laws that increase the punishment for crimes motivated by prejudice.
Abstract
Congress has also mandated a reporting system to provide data on the incidence of hate crime, and some police departments have formed bias crime units. The upshot is the emergence of a new crime category and a new way to think about crime. The definition of hate crime, however, is problematic, Federal efforts to collect data on hate crimes have not been successful, and the enforcement of hate crime laws has been minimal. The creation of a hate crime category fills political and symbolic functions but is not likely to provide a useful indication of the state of various prejudices or to reduce crime generated by these prejudices. In actuality, deconstructing criminal laws according to the dictates of "identity politics" may exacerbate social divisions and conflict. 180 references