NCJ Number
143898
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1993) Pages: 15-25
Date Published
1993
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A sample of 300 sheriffs was surveyed regarding their views on decriminalizing various types of public order crimes, the effect that the problems within the criminal justice system are having on the policing of public order crime, and the effect these problems are having on the sanctioning of public order crime.
Abstract
The sample was obtained from the 1990 Sheriffs Directory, a comprehensive list of all the sheriffs currently working in the United States. The survey yielded a 57 percent response from the sample. The topics addressed in the survey concerned a variety of issues in the enforcement of public order laws and in jail overcrowding. The public order crimes covered in the survey pertained to illicit drug use and sales, consensual sex offenses, pornography, illegal gambling, and alcohol abuse. Results indicate that problems within the criminal justice system are perceived by the respondents as having an effect on the policing of public order offenses. Even more certainty was shown in the view that courts have lowered the sanctions for public order crimes due to the overburdened criminal justice system. Despite perceived problems in policing and the court's relative inability to punish offenders, there is little support for the decriminalization of these public order offenses. 3 tables and 27 references