NCJ Number
131774
Journal
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 82 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1991) Pages: 141-155
Date Published
1991
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Sociological theories developed in the early 1960's contributed prominently to President Johnson's national war on crime and poverty. As skepticism grew, a conservative agenda became predominant that focused on trust in the naturally corrective force of laissez-faire capitalism, disenchantment with government programs, and impatience with sociological theories.
Abstract
"Get tough" rhetoric became politically potent. Between 1980 and 1988 during the Reagan era, the prison population grew by 90 percent, jails by 110 percent, and the number of probationers by 111 percent, yet the crime rate did not change. The States and the Federal government invested tens of billions of dollars in new prison and jail construction which amounted to a 59 percent spending increase and left little money for preventive approaches. At the recent National Crime Summit, Attorney General Thornburgh dismissed the usefulness of sociological theories and the search for the root causes of crime and emphasized an immediate need to stop the rampant carnage -- a sentiment echoed by President Bush. Yet many prominent politicians of both parties are now voicing interest in sociological theories and long-term, preventive measures; responsible policymakers and citizens cannot afford to ignore the current need for thorough and creative sociological thinking. 32 footnotes