NORMAL CRIMES - SOCIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE PENAL CODE IN A PUBLIC DEFENDER OFFICE (FROM DEVIANCE - ACTION, REACTION, INTERACTION - STUDIES IN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE DEVIANCE, 1975 BY CARPITTI AND MCFARLANE)

• NCJ Number: 34344
• Author(s): D SUDNOW
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 22 pages
• Corporate Author: Addison-Wesley Publishing
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN EXAMINATION OF THE USE OF THE PENAL CODE BY PRACTICING PUBLIC DEFENDERS IS SAID TO REVEAL THAT CATEGORIES OF CRIME ARE SO EMPLOYED AS TO MAKE THEIR ANALYSIS CRUCIAL TO EMPIRICAL UNDERSTANDING.

Abstract

THE AUTHOR DEFINES 'NORMAL CRIMES' AS THOSE WHOSE TYPICAL FEATURES, E.G., THE WAYS THEY USUALLY OCCUR AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONS WHO COMMIT THEM, ARE KNOWN AND ATTENDED TO BY THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS. IN THEIR ACTUAL USE, CATEGORIES OF CRIME, ARE, AT LEAST FOR THIS LEGAL ESTABLISHMENT, THE SHORTHAND REFERENCE TERMS FOR THAT KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND ITS CRIMINAL EVENTS UPON WHICH THE TASK OF PRACTICALLY ORGANIZING THE WORK OF 'REPRESENTATION' IS PREMISED. THAT KNOWLEDGE INCLUDES KNOWLEDGE OF MODES OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMMUNITY, PATTERNS OF DAILY SLUM LIFE, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL BIOGRAPHIES OF OFFENDERS, CRIMINAL HISTORIES AND FUTURES; IN SUM, PRACTICALLY TESTED CRIMINOLOGICAL WISDOM. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)