NCJ Number
159539
Date Published
1992
Length
121 pages
Annotation
This report presents the proceedings of a conference designed to find ways to reduce violent crime and enhance the quality of life in the southeastern region of the United States.
Abstract
A total of 212 delegates from the 14 jurisdictions in the southeastern region attended the conference. These delegates represented the policymakers and decisionmakers in the region. The first day's presentations focused on information and data on the trends, patterns, and profile of violent crime in the southeastern region. The second day of the conference the delegates divided into 10 small groups. Each group addressed three issues related to violent crime: system issues, crime issues, and social issues. These issues were the focal concerns in effecting lasting short-term and long-term solutions to the violent crime problem. The groups identified specific topics related to the three general categories of violent crime issues, identified impediments or obstacles to addressing each of those issues, and suggested steps and recommendations for addressing the obstacles. This work produced the Draft Policy Statement. In the General Assembly, the delegates reviewed the Draft Policy Statement and voted on each disputed item. The resulting product is the first collaborative consensus document that contains goals, objectives, and strategies that can be adopted by the States. For crime issues, the document identifies factors that contribute to the crime problem and obstacles to addressing these crime factors, followed by suggested steps and recommendations for addressing obstacles. Regarding system issues, the document identifies factors that contribute to systemic dysfunction and obstacles to overcoming factors that contribute to problems, followed by suggested steps and recommendations for addressing obstacles. A similar format is followed in considering social issues.