Violent Crime and Violent Criminals: The Response of the Justice System (From Violence and the Law, P 226-245, 1994, Mark Costanzo and Stuart Oskamp, eds. -- See NCJ- 150373)

• NCJ Number: 150384
• Author(s): J Petersilia
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 20 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Data on violent crimes, offenders, and the criminal justice system response are reviewed, with emphasis on their implications regarding the most effective strategies for reducing violence.

Abstract

The analysis reveals that although property crime may be decreasing, violent crime continues to increase despite the quadrupling of the country's prison population. Surveys typically reveal that citizens report to the police about half of the crimes that actually occur. Police make an arrest in about half of the cases in which they are notified. That number is further decreased as a result of prosecutorial screening, case dismissals, and acquittals. Overall, fewer than one in seven violent crimes appears to result in imprisonment. Consequently, the ability of the formal criminal justice agencies to reduce community violence is rather limited. Although imprisonment remains a necessary component to the criminal justice system, a thorough review by a panel of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that imprisonment does not seem to be an effective way to reduce violence. Therefore, long-term solutions require us to refocus on the social and economic problems underlying crime. Tables, figures, and 34 references