NCJ Number
51737
Date Published
1978
Length
68 pages
Annotation
USING NATIONWIDE DATA MADE AVAILABLE BY STATE CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAMS, THE CAREER CRIMINAL IS PROFILED.
Abstract
THIS STUDY ADDRESSED THREE QUESTIONS: (1) WHY WAS THE DEFENDANT CLASSIFIED AS A CAREER CRIMINAL? (2) WHAT DID THE TYPICAL CAREER CRIMINAL LOOK LIKE DEMOGRAPHICALLY? AND (3) WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE CRIMES TARGETED BY THE CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAM? RECORD DATA WERE OBTAINED FOR 7,941 DEFENDANT TRIPS THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. DEFENDANTS WERE COUNTED EACH TIME THEY WENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM, SO IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A DEFENDANT TO BE COUNTED MORE THAN ONCE. DETROIT, MICH., AND NEW ORLEANS, LA., WERE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO THE DATA BASE, WITH EACH CONTRIBUTING ABOUT 12 PERCENT OF THE NUMBER OF DEFENDANTS IN THE DATA BASE. THE OFFENDERS' PRIOR HISTORIES WERE USED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE OFFENDERS' CLASSIFICATIONS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AVERAGE OFFENDER MADE 1.2 TRIPS THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, HAD BEEN ARRESTED 8 TIMES PRIOR TO THE CURRENT ARREST, AND HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF 3 PRIOR FELONIES AND 3 PRIOR MISDEMEANORS. THE CAREER CRIMINAL WAS MALE 96 PERCENT OF THE TIME, BLACK 60 PERCENT OF THE TIME, AND SINGLE 50 PERCENT OF THE TIME. THE TYPICAL CAREER CRIMINAL HAD A LOCAL CRIMINAL RECORD 90 PERCENT OF THE TIME. HIS AVERAGE AGE WAS 29. THE CAREER CRIMINAL USED A WEAPON DURING THE COMMISSION OF 41 PERCENT OF HIS CRIMES AND HE WAS A DRUG USER 34 PERCENT OF THE TIME. AFTER ENCOUNTERING A CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAM, THE OFFENDER WAS LIKELY TO BE CONVICTED 89.4 PERCENT OF THE TIME ON THE TOP CHARGE AND BE SENTENCED TO 15.4 YEARS IN PRISON. HIS PROCESSING THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (FROM ARREST TO DISPOSITION) TOOK AN AVERAGE OF 106 DAYS. DATA COLLECTION FORMS ARE APPENDED. TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (MLC)