CRIME AND JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES

1
CRIME AND JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES
2
CRIME AND THE MEDIA

• New Reports
• 30 relate to crime stories
• Entertainment Industry
• Does the media give an accurate representation of
  crime in the United States?
• Crime Clock

3
DEFINING CRIME

• Social Definitions Norms
• Legal Definition
• Why is punishment a necessary part of the law?
• Unusual Laws

4
LEGAL DEFENCES TO A CRIME

• EXCUSES FROM CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY
• Acted under duress
• Acted under age
• Insanity
• Acted in self-defense
• Entrapment

5
MEASURING CRIME

• DO WE KNOW THE TRUE AMOUNT OF CRIME IN THE UNITED
  STATES?
• Probably the best index of crime is OFFENSES
  KNOWN TO THE POLICE
• Are all crime reported to the police?
• Reasons for not reporting crimes to the police
• Things that may affect the crime rates

6
UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS (UCR)

• Annual Report prepared by the FBI based on CRIMES
  KNOW TO THE POLICE
• Data collected on eight index offenses
• Murder and non-negligent manslaughter
• Forcible Rape
• Robbery
• Aggravated Assault
• Burglary
• Larceny Theft
• Motor Vehicle Theft
• Arson

7
FEAR OF CRIME

• What do people fear?
• Fear is greatest at night when a person is alone
  and away from home
• Who has the greatest fear of crime?
• Gender
• Race
• Age
• Community

8
VICTIMS OF CRIME

• Most frequent type of crime personal or
  property crimes?
• By age, who are the most likely crime victims?
• 16-19 years of age have the highest rate
• Considering age, gender, race, and location who
  is the most likely crime victim?
• Young black males in the inner cities
• Most likely rape victim girls younger than 18

9
POLICING IN AMERICA
10
PUBLIC ATTITUEDES TOWARD THE POLICE

• ACCORDING TO RECENT SURVEYS
• How much confidence do you, personally, have in
  the police?
• A great deal 59
• Some confidence 31
• Very little confidence 10
• However, among blacks only 31 had a great deal
  of confidence in the police.

11
THE ROLES OF THE POLICE

• Role Expectation
• What do we expect of our police?
• Role Conflict

12
POLICE QUALIFICATIONS

• CHARACTERISTICS OF POLICE WORK
• Be Decisive
• Integrity
• Self-motivated
• Willing to handle the Dirty Work
• Willing to face Danger
• What is some of the most dangerous work for
  police officers?
• Domestic Disturbance calls

13
POLICE FUNCTIONS

• WHAT IS IT THAT POLICE DO?
• Patrol the most time consuming work
• Preventive Patrol
• Directed Patrol
• Foot Patrol What are the benefits?
• Bicycle Patrol
• Investigation
• Purpose of the investigation
• Role of the Detective Any advantages?
• Traffic

14
COMMUNITY POLICING

• A Partnership
• Examples of Community Policing
• Neighborhood Watch
• DARE
• Foot Patrol
• Bicycle Patrol

15
SENTENCING, APPEALS, AND THE DEATH PENALTY
16
FIVE TYPES OF PUNISHMENTS USED IN THE UNITED
STATES

• Fines
• Probation
• Intermediate Punishments
• Imprisonment
• Death

17
PRISON SENTENCING

• TWO TYPES
• Indeterminate Sentencing
• Who determines release date?
• Parole Boards
• Emphasis in on REHABILITATION
• Determinate Sentencing
• Get Tough Approach
• One negative result
• Overcrowding problems

18
PUNISHMENT PHILOSOPHIES

• RATIONALES FOR IMPOSING PUNISHMENTS
• Retribution
• Societys Revenge
• Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth

19
THE DEATH PENALTY

• FIVE METHODS OF EXECUTION
• Lethal Injection
• Electrocution
• Gas Chamber
• Hanging
• Firing Squad

20
CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE DEATH PENALTY

• Has it ever been declared unconstitutional?
• United States Supreme Court Cases
• Furman v. Georgia (1972)
• Gregg v. Georgia (1976)

21
STATES WITH HIGHEST RATES OF EXECUTIONS

• OVER 850 EXECUTIONS SINCE 1977
• MORE THAN HALF OCCURRED IN THREE STATES
• TEXAS (304)
• VIRGINIA (99)
• OKLAHOMA (64)
• Florida, Georgia, Louisiana also rank high.
• 38 states have capital punishment statutes

22
PUBLIC OPINION ON THE DEATH PENALTY

• Recent public opinion polls
• A Gallup Poll in 2003 revealed that 74 of the
  American public favored the death penalty in
  First Degree Murder cases.
• What is your opinion?

23
INMATE POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES

• Today approximately 2 million inmates in our
  prisons and jails
• United States has one of the highest
  incarceration rates of any nation in the world.

24
COSTS OF INCARCERATION

• TOTAL ANNUAL COST ABOUT 36 BILLION
• Approximate annual cost per inmate is 22,000
• Costs Estimates for New Prison Construction
• Minimum Security Facility - 31,000 per bed
• Medium Security Facility - 50,000 per bed
• Maximum Security Facility - 80,000 per bed

25
PRISON INMATE CHARACTERISTICS

• DESCRIBING THE TYPICAL INMATE
• Gender Male
• Race Black
• Age Group Under 35
• Marital Status Single
• Educational Level Low, many are high school
  drop-outs
• Gang Affiliation

26
INMATE RIGHTS (cont.)

• First Amendment Rights
• Free speech and censorship of mail
• Religious Freedom
• Cooper v. Pate (1964) - Black Muslim Case
• Eighth Amendment Rights
• Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment
• Staff brutality
• Medical Care
• What about hard labor and solitary confinement?
• Totality of Conditions

27
THE PROBATION PROCESS

• THE PROBATION ORDER
• Standard for Misdemeanors and Felonies
• Probation Conditions
• Maintain Employment
• Obey all Laws
• No association with criminals
• Felons cannot possess a firearm
• Agree to consent searches
• Random drug testing
• Restitution
• Regular contacts with PO and restricted travel