NCJ Number
84142
Date Published
1981
Length
18 pages
Annotation
The political, economic, and social environment changes resulting from reindustrialization, the likely response to current American economic adversity, will force criminal justice to modify its activities and adapt to new values and circumstances.
Abstract
Reindustrialization, the rebuilding of the U.S. industrial base, will probably produce enhanced corporate competition and domination and exacerbation of the socioeconomic gap, as well as precipitant criminal justice adaptation. The quality of life is likely to suffer under these circumstances as corporate efforts to reduce government regulation will increase pollution and reduce employee protection. Corporate exploitation of communities will increase the economic hardships of the community as a whole as attempts are made to finance the local services that will benefit corporations as well as the community. Continued high inflation and increased unemployment will escalate the number living in poverty and increase street crime. As the criminal justice system is caught in the competition for scarce resources, the system will either have to become more efficient or experience a reduction in its ability to control crime. Further, the criminal justice system might seek to justify its continued status or growth by manipulating measures of success or need for its services. The system might also expand its efforts to deal with certain types of crimes, such as white-collar crime, to justify requests for more resources. The criminal justice system could very well present itself to the public as the one institution that can control the cultural conflict and deviant behavior associated with life adjustments under scarce resources, which could also fuel an increasingly repressive policy. A total of 33 notes are listed.