NCJ Number
53489
Journal
Criminal Justice Abstracts Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 395-410
Date Published
1978
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE SOCIAL BALANCE (HOMEOSTASIS) BETWEEN CRIME AND PUNISHMENT--AN EQUILIBRIUM IN WHICH CRIME CANNOT BE GREATLY REPRESSED AND PUNISHMENT CANNOT BE GREATLY INCREASED--IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
EVIDENCE FOR THE HOMEOSTATIS CONCEPT IS FOUND IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE STATISTICS--UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS, VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS, EXPENDITURES FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTIVITIES--AND IN STUDY FINDINGS SUGGESTING THAT AN INCREASE OR DECREASE IN THE PUNISHMENT PROCESS AT ONE POINT IS NULLIFIED BY A COUNTERBALANCING TREND AT ANOTHER POINT, FROM LAWMAKING THROUGH PAROLE. THE HOMEOSTATIC PROCESS ASSURES THAT CRIME REMAINS CONSTANT, FLUCTUATING ONLY WITIN NARROW LIMITS. THE PROCESS ALSO ASSURES THAT PUNISHMENT CANNOT BE GREATLY AND UNREASONABLY INCREASED WITHOUT STIMULATING COUNTERFORCES THAT RESTORE THE EQUILIBRIUM AND REDUCE PUNISHMENT TO ITS PREVIOUS LEVEL. OF ALL THE SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL FORCES (INDUSTRIALIZATION, URBANIZATION, WARS, ECONOMIC BOOMS AND DEPRESSIONS) THAT MAY AFFECT THE CRIMINAL AND PUNITIVE BEHAVIOR OF SOCIETIES, THE FORCE OF HOMEOSTASIS APPEARS TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT. THE HOMEOSTATIC PROCESS CAN BE OBSERVED IN OPERATION IN AN ENTIRE SOCIETY AND IN SMALL-SCALE EFFORTS TO INCREASE PUNISHMENT AND DECREASE CRIME. THE DISCOVERY OF A SOCIAL EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN CRIME AND PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE REGARDED NOT AS A THREAT OR AN EXCUSE FOR PASSIVITY, BUT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE LIMITS WITHIN WHICH SOCIETY OPERATES AND THE GOALS WHICH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM CAN REASONABLY EXPECT TO ACCOMPLISH. STATISTICS ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)