Chapter 2 Crime and Justice in America Defining Crime Representatives in state legislature and congress define the laws o Mala in se offenses that are wrong by its very nature Rape murder o Mala prohibita offenses prohibitive by law but not wrong in themselves Gambling prostitution drug use o Definitons of crime change over time Types of Crime Visible crime an offense against persons or property committed primarily by lower class members street crime o Ranges from shoplifting to homicide o Violent crime acts against people in which death or injury occur homicide assault rape battery serious offenses Normally know the victim o Property crime acts that threaten property held by individuals or by the state theft larceny embezzlement Done due to pressure or financial need o Public Order crime threaten the general well being of society and challenge moral principle disorderly conduct vandalism drunkenness Normally minor crimes but can be challenged Free society vs fear normally young men Occupational crime business crime seen as shrewd business compared to visible crime hard to identify Fraud Organized Crime a framework for the perpetuation of criminal acts providing illegal services in great demand drugs and sex o Provide goods and services to millions of people o Have influence on powerful people political machines o Normally corrupt business and politics for their own good Now they do new crimes like commercial arson and money Crimes without Victims offenses involving a willing and private exchange of illegal goods or services that are in strong demand laundering o Mafias based on ethnicity gangs o Hurt society as a whole o Prostitution gambling drugs Political Crime acts that constitute a threat against the state o Treason sedition espionage o Also known as criminal acts done by the state Cyber Crime offenses that involve the use of one or more computers o Steal information resources funds o Hacking into others information o New style of crime and the government is fighting it through by tapping into phones and emails Hate Crimes crimes based on personal choices ethnicity race gender The crime rate has decreased 57 from 1993 2004 but increased 2 5 in How much Crime is There 2006 Dark figure of crime a metaphor that emphasizes the dangerous dimension of crime that never is reported to the police The Uniform Crime Reports UCR an annually published statistical summary of crimes reported to the police based on voluntary reports to the FBI by local state and federal agencies o In an attempt to show the national trend in decrease of crime officials have falsified stats in order for promotions pay raises and department budgets o Only covers 24 major crimes useful but incomplete o National Incident based Reporting System system in which police describe each offense in a crime incident along with a descriptions of the offender victim and property Reports more details about crime events distinguishes between attempted and completed crimes National Crime Victimization Surveys interviews of samples of the US population conducted to determine the number and types of criminal victimization and thus the extent of unreported and reported crime o Survey done to help show the extent and nature of crime victimization o Also done in 26 major cities with businesses o NCVS depends on the victims perception of an event what they consider a crime Trends in Crime o UCR and NCVS show same data in different scope o Age men ages 16 24 are most vulnerable to crime Since the boomers crime rate of these men have decreased but criminologists report that this number will greatly increase this semester o Crack Cocaine many homicides in the late 80 s and early 90 s were driven by the major increase in use of crack cocaine and use of semi automatic handguns Many young people becmase dealers for money and carried illegal arms in order to protect themselves Government tried to decrease the use by increasing the prison sentence and prison populations skyrocketed Crime Victimization Victimology a study that examines the role the victim plays in precipitating a criminal incident and also examines the impact of crimes on victims Who is Victimized o People who have been victimized are more prone to it again o Demographics include age gender income activities work places and choices o Men Youths Nonwhites Influence of gender age and race affect the chances of rape murder and assault Black teens are more exposed due to where they live and the choices they make compared ot old white women Most crime is intra racial o Low income city dwellers Lower income higher percentage of crime due to the need of Crime is mainly in large cities where they are many people money with low income Acquaintances and Strangers More prone than suburbs and rural areas o Many crimes are done by strangers but most are done to friends family members and acquaintances o Many crimes re done based on who is the criminal Strangers robberies some murder Friends assault rape Relatives abuse normally afraid to report those The Impact of Crime o Costs of crime o Fear of crime Economic lost property medical expenses lower productivity Psych pain trauma quality of life The cost of operating the CJS Limits freedom limit their activities of safe areas at safe times Creates anxiety Although crime rate is down people still fear being victimized The perception of television and the media The Experience of Victims within the CJS o The system is not sensitive towards the needs of the victims Normally quickly forget about the situation and the victim They are painted out by defendant lawyers fr their information and evidence but almost never hear the verdict of the case because they are too afraid to come face to face with the criminal They are forced to miss work a lot for judicial hearings which can run for months even years taking time of out their day and jobs Feel like they have been victimized twice by the criminal and the CJS Agencies are treating the victim better nowadays because they are normally the only source of evidence against the criminal Various laws have been created in order to give the victim financial compensation for injuries and counsel Justice for All Act The Role of Victims in Crime o Some victims put it on themselves for they do not take the proper precautions to protect themselves o They can also promote or entice another person to start a crime o Some victims of non strangers are not wiling to help the investigation Causes of Crime
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