NCJ Number
167848
Date Published
1997
Length
257 pages
Annotation
This book explores how the faith, activities, and interactions of Christian Community Development Organizations (CCDO's) are associated with the prevention and control of violence and crime in black communities.
Abstract
The book clarifies the role of CCDO's in urban reform and examines differences in crime prevention practices of CCDO's and traditional community development organizations. The book also considers underlying assumptions of organizational crime prevention practices and defines the role of community organizations in violent communities. Book chapters specifically cover the ideology of CCDO's, religiosity and crime in urban communities, and the effect of CCDO's on crime in urban communities. Three individual case studies of CCDO's in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake, Virginia, are described. The author points out that community organizations have stayed the course while Federal and State funding has diminished, that most CCDO's with crime prevention functions are involved in social planning practices, and that most CCDO's emphasize community empowerment and resident involvement in defining and solving problems. Religion and race components of CCDO's and their important role in crime prevention are discussed. An organizational survey form is appended. 164 references, 7 tables, and 6 figures