NCJ Number
133925
Journal
Monitor Issue: 24 Dated: (December 1991) Pages: 15-18
Date Published
1991
Length
4 pages
Annotation
All but three States now have laws concerning hate crimes; these laws can be grouped into seven basic categories.
Abstract
General hate crime laws define as criminal offenses certain acts committed out of prejudice, provide enhanced penalties, or both. Other laws require data collection regarding hate crime, require police training in the recognition and investigation of hate crimes, make cross-burning or the burning of other symbols a crime, ban the wearing of masks and hoods, prohibit the desecration or vandalism of a religious institution or burial place, and restrict the paramilitary training camps run by racist groups. Some States make parents financially liable for their children's hate crimes; others provide separate civil causes of action and include characteristics such as age, disability, gender, and sexual orientation. The most common laws are those regarding institutionalizing vandalism; next are laws that criminalize or provide enhanced penalties for acts committed out of bias. The States have used varying approaches, with some enacting comprehensive laws and others passing a series of separate laws. In addition, some laws define groups specifically, while others use language banning certain actions against any type of group. Some courts have invalidated State and local hate crime laws, indicating the need to enact laws tailored to anticipate hostile courts and other opponents. State-by-state chart and footnotes