NCJ Number
94207
Journal
Crime and Social Justice Issue: 20 Pages: 121-137
Date Published
Unknown
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The recommendations of the 1981 Attorney General's Task Force on Violent Crime reflect the viewpoints and political constituencies of its appointed members, the internal and external constraints under which it operated, and the political climate of the Nation.
Abstract
The Task Force recommended the inclusion of 'danger to the community' as a factor in bail determination, use of preventive detention, revision of the exclusionary rule to allow introduction into court of illegally obtained evidence, and restrictions on habeas corpus rights. It advocated greater centralization of Federal law enforcement activities, emphasis on victims' righs, expenditure of funds for prisons, use of armed forces in controlling drug traffic, and mild gun control regulations. The article explains how the political considerations influenced the appointment of members and staff to the Task Force, the setting of an agenda, and the selection of individuals to testify before Task Force. Two notes and 23 references are listed.