NCJ Number
90527
Date Published
1983
Length
293 pages
Annotation
This assessment of American crime trends and crime control policies espouses the argument that criminal activity is largely rational, i.e., shaped by the rewards and penalties it offers versus the outcomes of other available activities; thus, society's responses to crime should be based on designing policies that will minimize criminal rewards and increase the rewards of noncriminal behavior.
Abstract
The book describes the 1960's and 1970's experience with crime and its impact on the community and offers a general perspective on how to think about crime control policies. The author argues that it is possible to consider anticrime policies without first discovering a cure for the causes of crime. He focuses on the police struggle with crime and neighborhood disorder, and discusses five major issues in the debate over crime control policies -- penalties and opportunities (i.e., deterrence), incapacitation, rehabilitation, capital punishment, and drug control. The concluding section places crime in the context of American history and culture to reveal some of the fundamental forces affecting its incidence. Finally, a hypothetical description of an adequate crime control policy is offered, together with reasons why it would be difficult to implement. Chapter notes and an index are provided. A short comment on gun control is appended. (Author abstract modified)