NCJ Number
166477
Editor(s)
K O Morgan,
S Morgan
Date Published
1997
Length
533 pages
Annotation
This report presents 1997 statistics and State rankings in the areas of arrests, corrections, drug and alcohol treatment programs, criminal justice expenditures, juvenile arrests and custody, law enforcement personnel, offenses, urban-rural crime, and 1991 crimes.
Abstract
Data are presented in both alphabetical and rank order so that readers may quickly find information for a particular State and learn which States rank above and below that State. Source information and other pertinent footnotes are shown at the bottom of each page, and national totals, rates, and percentages are displayed at the top of each table. Numerous information-finding tools are provided, including table listings at the beginning of each chapter, a detailed index, and a chapter thumb index. Also included is a roster of sources, with addresses, phone numbers, and internet homepage sites. The analysis uses six basic crime rates to determine how each State ranks in dangerousness: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. Rather than relying only on the rankings of States for various categories, States are ranked based on how well they compare against the national average for a particular crime. In addition, the factors are weighted to reflect which crimes Americans fear the most. Based on polls, respondents were most fearful of burglary, followed by robbery, motor vehicle theft, aggravated assault, rape, and murder. Nevada is ranked as the most dangerous State for the second year in a row, with a crime rate of 6.66. Nevada has had close to a 40-percent increase in its violent crime rate over the past 5 years. Florida is ranked second, followed by Louisiana, Maryland, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois, Tennessee, and Alaska, to complete the top 10. The State with the lowest crime rate was North Dakota. 508 tables