NCJ Number
140392
Editor(s)
M Tonry
Date Published
1992
Length
427 pages
Annotation
Essays on criminal justice topics likely to remain of central professional and public concern throughout the 1990's address auto theft and its prevention; proportionality in the philosophy of punishment; public opinion, crime, and criminal justice; sentencing reform structures; mandatory penalties; adjusting to prison life; and private penal institutions.
Abstract
The essay on auto theft profiles its extent and nature and discusses prevention options; it views the manufacture of more secure vehicles as the most effective preventive measure, along with improved documentation of ownership and environmental modifications at parking lots. The essay on proportionality in the philosophy of punishment reviews the philosophical tradition on punishment, summarizes the contemporary philosophical discussion on the issue, explains the rationale for the principle of proportionality, describes the distinction between cardinal and ordinal proportionality and its significance, and examines three kinds of sentencing models that differ from one another in their degree of emphasis on proportionality. The essay on public opinion, crime, and criminal justice examines research on the public's knowledge of criminal justice facts and issues, the degree to which public attitudes on criminal justice accord with criminal justice policy, and the role of criminal justice policymakers in responding to public attitudes and misperceptions regarding criminal justice issues. The essay on sentencing reform structures assesses some of the many techniques for structuring and limiting the sentencing of offenders, followed by an essay that examines research on the effectiveness of mandatory penalties. The essay on adjustment to prison life summarizes the research findings on how inmate characteristics and the prison environment are related to prison adjustment problems. The concluding essay reviews the history of private-sector involvement in corrections and issues in the contemporary debate on the private management of penal institutions. Each essay is accompanied by a list of references. For individual essays, see NCJ 140393-99.