NCJ Number
203345
Date Published
2003
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This paper presents an examination of the impact of the sentence enhancement program, Richmond’s Project Exile on homicide and other crimes, specifically gun crimes.
Abstract
Enhanced prison penalties for gun crimes enjoy widespread support from all sides of the United States gun policy debate. These enhancements have the potential to reduce gun violence by incapacitating individuals who have been convicted of gun crimes and deterring such crimes in the future. Richmond, Virginia’s, Project Exile, established in 1997 was declared a success when Richmond showed a 40 percent reduction in gun homicides from 1997 to 1998. This chapter examines the impact of Project Exile on homicide and other crimes. The outcome measure used as the primary focus of this evaluation was the city’s homicide rate. It is argued that the reduction in Richmond’s gun homicide rates surrounding the implementation of Project Exile was not unusual and that almost all of the observed decrease probably would have occurred even in the absence of the program. Project Exile is a coordinated effort of Richmond law enforcement and the regional U.S. Attorney’s office to prosecute in Federal courts all felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm (FIP) cases, drugs-gun cases, and domestic violence-gun cases, regardless of the number. The Federal penalties for these offences are more severe. It is effectively a sentence enhancement program. Since its inception in 1997, several indicators of criminal activity in Richmond have improved substantially. This examination of the data suggests that Project Exile may have had a dramatic impact on gun homicides. Tables, comments, and references