NCJ Number
79431
Date Published
1981
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Speaking at the 1978 conference of the Order of the Pen and Sword, Dr. Stanley Turner, a sociologist, discusses some of the myths that impede criminal justice.
Abstract
Such myths include the ability of social scientists to explain certain phenomena including the correlation between age and criminal reform and the difference between the sexes concerning crime rates. The concept of the criminal justice system as a harmonious totality of parts can also be considered a myth. Additional myths discussed by the speaker include simplified explanations of why offenders commit crimes, theories of how to treat offenders, and factors that cause delinquency such as the rebellion against middle-class values that creates a counterculture.