NCJ Number
48271
Journal
JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL LAW, CRIMINOLOGY AND POLICE SCIENCE Volume: 54 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1963) Pages: 48-60
Date Published
1963
Length
13 pages
Annotation
DEVELOPMENT OF A CRIMINAL TYPOLOGY BASED ON ARREST HISTORY CRIME PATTERNS AND ITS APPLICATION IN DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN THE BLACK NUMBERS MAN AND OTHER BLACK OFFENDER TYPES ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE TYPOLOGY WAS CONSTRUCTED ON THE BASIS OF A THOROUGH STUDY OF THE ARREST HISTORIES OF 400 BLACK INMATES OF OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA REFORMATORY. FOUR GENERAL CRIME PATTERNS WERE IDENTIFIED: SINGLE -- THREE OR MORE ARRESTS FOR A SINGLE TYPE OF CHARGE, MULTIPLE -TWO OR MORE SINGLE PATTERNS, MIXED -- NO SINGLE PATTERN, AND NO PATTERN -- LESS THAN THREE ARRESTS. PATTERNS IDENTIFIED IN THE SAMPLE INCLUDED: SINGLE PATTERNS OF ROBBERY, NARCOTIC LAW OFFENSES, NUMBER GAMES OPERATIONS, BURGLARY, SEX OFFENSES, AUTO THEFT, CONFIDENCE GAMES, AND CHECK FORGERY; DOUBLE PATTERNS OF LARCENY PLUS BURGLARY AND ASSAULT PLUS DRUNKENNESS; TRIPLE PATTERN OF DRUNKENNESS PLUS ASSAULT PLUS LARCENY; AND MIXED AND NO PATTERNS. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE 16 SUBJECTS CHARACTERIZED BY A SINGLE ARREST PATTERN OF NUMBERS LAW VIOLATIONS DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE OTHER 384 OFFENDERS ON 25 OF THE 33 SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY TRAITS EXAMINED. UNLIKE THE MAJORITY OF OTHER OFFENDER TYPES, THIS GROUP GREW UP IN ADEQUATE MIDDLE-CLASS HOME ENVIRONMENTS UNMARKED BY WEAK FAMILY STRUCTURE, FAULTY SUPERVISION, DEMORALIZATION, CRIMINALITY, OR ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE. PERSONAL VICES SUCH AS ALCOHOL OR DRUG ADDITION WERE RELATIVELY UNCOMMON, AND THERE WAS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF PERSONALITY DEVIATIONS. MOST HAD NO PRIOR HISTORY OF ADJUDICATED DELINQUENCY. HOWEVER, MOST GREW UP IN A CULTURAL MILIEU WHICH VIEWED THE NUMBERS RACKET AS A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION WHICH, WHILE ILLEGAL, WAS NOT REALLY SEEN AS CRIMINAL. MOST ADOPTED ADULT RECREATIONAL PATTERNS IN LATE ADOLESCENCE, WERE SEXUALLY PRECOCIOUS AND WERE ESPECIALLY CONCERNED WITH AVOIDING ARREST. THE MAJORITY WERE INTERESTED IN MATERIAL SUCCESS, HAD EXPENSIVE TASTE AND VIEWED THE NUMBERS AS A BUSINESS PURSUIT. PRISON WAS VIEWED AS AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD, AND MOST NUMBERS MEN WERE TRACTABLE, PLEASANT, AND COURTEOUS INMATES. (JAP)