NCJ Number
151659
Editor(s)
P A Winters
Date Published
1995
Length
285 pages
Annotation
These 30 papers present diverse viewpoints regarding crime causes, crime prevention, gun control, juvenile justice policies, and fear of crime.
Abstract
Eight papers on crime causes focus on genetic factors, environmental influences, the relationships between poverty and unemployment and crime, the role of the culture of social irresponsibility, and personal irresponsibility. Eight papers on crime prevention argue for and against community policing, harsher sentences, three-strike laws, and increased imprisonment. Six papers on gun control argue for and against its constitutionality, its effectiveness in reducing crime, and its effects on personal security. Six papers on juvenile justice policies focus on juvenile gun ownership, whether or not violent juvenile offenders should be tried as adults, and the effectiveness of shock incarceration programs. Six papers on fear of crime focus on whether society criminalizes too many behaviors, whether middle-class fear of crime is justified, and the relationship between race and crime. Index, reference lists, annotated list of organizations to contact for further information, and 40 references