NCJ Number
47574
Date Published
1978
Length
16 pages
Annotation
BASED ON A SAMPLE OF 214 PERSONS INTERVIEWED WITHIN THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WISC., COURT SYSTEM DURING 1974, THE EFFECT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM EXPERIENCES ON CRIME REPORTING AND CITIZEN COOPERATION WAS EXAMINED.
Abstract
THE RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED IF THEY EXPERIENCED CERTAIN PROBLEMS, HOW SERIOUS THEY REGARDED THAT EXPERIENCE TO BE, THE NATURE OF THE VICTIMIZATION, THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE VICTIMIZATION, THEIR ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFORTS OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND JUDGE, AND THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING CRIME IN THE FUTURE. IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS ANY ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS AND SUCH FACTORS AS THE PERCEIVED SERIOUSNESS OF THE EVENT, THE TYPE OF OFFENSE, OR THE NUMBER OF CASE POSTPONEMENTS, THE PROBLEM DIMENSIONS WERE CROSS-TABULATED WITH FACTOR INDICATORS. VICTIMS AND WITNESSES ALIKE INDICATED THAT THEY RECEIVED LITTLE SATISFACTION WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A CRIMINAL ACT AND THE NEED TO PROCESS A CASE THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. HOWEVER, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE VICTIMIZATION WAS NOT RELATED TO PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED WITHIN THE SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH PROBLEMS WERE NOTED AT EVERY VICTIMIZATION AND OFFENSE LEVEL. CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL WERE SEEN AS LARGELY UNSATISFACTORY AND MANY RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD BE LESS LIKELY TO REPORT A CRIME IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF SUCH PROBLEMS. MANY STATES ARE AWARE OF THIS DILEMMA AND HAVE RESPONDED BY INSTITUTING VICTIM COMPENSATION AND VICTIM/WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (BAC)