PHILOSOPHICAL AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS OF DEFINITIONS OF CRIME (FROM CRIME AND ITS IMPACT ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY, 1976, BY LAWRENCE E GARY AND LEE P BROWN - SEE NCJ-48198)

• NCJ Number: 48202
• Author(s): J A GOODMAN
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Howard University
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

CRIME AS A SYMPTOM OF THE DYNAMICS OF BLACK COMMUNITY LIFE IS DISCUSSED AS A CONCERN OF BLACK RESEARCHERS WHOSE PERSPECTIVE FROM WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS MOST CONDUCIVE TO PROBLEMSOLVING RESEARCH.

Abstract

CRIME AS A CONSTRUCT MOST OFTEN DEFINES THE DEVIANT BEHAVIOR OF BLACKS AS A THREAT TO THE SECURITY OF THE WHITE MAJORITY. THIS POSITION IS SUPPORTED BY CITING THAT 45 PERCENT OF THE U.S. PRISON POPULATION IS BLACK, WHILE 97 PERCENT OF ALL PRISON ADMINISTRATORS AND 95 PERCENT OF ALL PRISON GUARDS ARE WHITE. IT IS FURTHER MAINTAINED THAT MOST CRIME RESEARCH IS DESIGNED TO DRAW ATTENTION TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR MOST OFTEN EVIDENCED BY BLACKS IN POVERTY-RIDDEN AND SOCIALLY DEPRIVED CONDITIONS, WHILE TYPICALLY WHITE MIDDLE CLASS CRIMES, SUCH AS EMBEZZLEMENT AND FRAUD, DRAW RELATIVELY LITTLE ATTENTION. IT IS BELIEVED THAT SUCH RESEARCH IS NOT USED TO HELP CHANGE THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH BLACKS LIVE, BUT TO JUSTIFY GREATER LAW ENFORCEMENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. IT IS ADVISED THAT BLACKS MUST ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF RESEARCHING THE PROBLEMS PREVALENT IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES AND TO APPLY THAT RESEARCH TOWARD TRANSFORMING THE BLACK EXPERIENCE INTO A POSITIVE COMMUNITY FORCE. (RCB)