Robbery and Burglary: A Study of the Characteristics of the Persons Arrested and the Handling of Their Cases in Court

• NCJ Number: 150370
• Author(s): K M Williams; J Lucianovic
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 70 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-NI-99-0008; 75-NI-99-0111; 76-NI-99-0118; 77-NI-99-0060
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Institute for Law and Social Research (Inslaw)
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; Institute for Law and Social Research (Inslaw); NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PROMIS Research Project Publication 6

Annotation

Data on persons arrested for robbery and burglary in Washington, D.C. in 1973 were analyzed to determine the characteristics of the offenses, the offenders, and case processing.

Abstract

The data came from the Prosecutors Management Information System (PROMIS). The analysis revealed that an estimated 38,000 robbery and burglary victimizations took place in the District of Columbia in 1973, but fewer than 5 percent resulted in at least one adult conviction. Only 25 percent of the reported robberies and 15 percent of the reported burglaries were cleared by arrest. Thirty-five percent of the robbery arrests and 45 percent of the burglary arrests resulted in conviction. Analysis of a panel of arrestees over a 5-year period revealed that those charged with robbery and burglary were more likely than other defendants to have a criminal history and to be highly recidivistic in the future. Young, unemployed males with serious criminal records are likely to be recidivists; however, robbery and burglary offenders do not specialize in these crimes. Factors that lead to successful prosecution include the number of witnesses, recovery of property or other tangible evidence, and making an arrest within 30 minutes of the offense. Younger defendants were also more likely to be convicted than older defendants. Tables, figures, and appended methodological information