Make Criminal Penalties Fit The Severity Of The Crime fit the crime. Consider the following facts The United States is now the operator of the largest prison system on the planet. 71; The Federal Bureau of prisons http://www.csdp.org/edcs/page26.htm
Extractions: T he E FFECTIVE N ATIONAL D RUG C ONTROL S TRATEGY GOAL NUMBER TWO: REDUCE THE HARM CAUSED BY THE "WAR ON DRUGS" OBJECTIVE: MAKE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FIT THE SEVERITY OF THE CRIME Rationale: The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 radically changed sentencing in drug cases. The new law required judges to sentence individuals based on mandatory guidelines, eliminating most judicial discretion. Congress enacted mandatory sentencing statutes as part of the Omnibus Drug Control Act of 1986. Federal judges have strongly opposed mandatory sentencing as have many other law enforcement experts. In fact, every judicial circuit, as well as the Criminal Law Committee of the Judicial Conference and the Federal Courts Study Commission have opposed mandatory minimum sentencing. The combination of stringent guidelines and mandatory sentencing along with similar harsh sentencing penalties adopted by most states has produced a burgeoning rate of incarceration in the United States. Prisons should be a solution of last resort. Addiction is a disease, and no disease, whether it is cancer or addiction, is effectively treated by incarceration. Moreover, our nation's addiction to prison building has contributed to declines in education spending in many states and undermines the global competitiveness of our country. Recommendation 1: End mandatory minimum sentencing (statutory and guideline).
Factbook: Crime Uniform crime Reports for the United States 1998 (Washington is associated with more violent crime than any of violent felons in state prisons committed their http://www.drugwarfacts.org/crime.htm
Extractions: Crime The chart at the right illustrates the homicide rate in the United States from 1900 to 1998. It is important to note that each of the most violent episodes in this century coincide with the prohibition on alcohol and the escalation of the modern-day war on drugs. In 1933 the homicide rate peaked at 9.7 per 100,000 people, which was the year that alcohol prohibition was finally repealed. In 1980, the homicide rate peaked again at 10 per 100,000. US Census Data and FBI Uniform Crime Reports. "The data are quite consistent with the view that Prohibition at the state level inhibited alcohol consumption, and an attempt to explain correlated residuals by including omitted variables revealed that enforcement of Prohibitionist legislation had a significant inhibiting effect as well. Moreover, both hypotheses about the effects of alcohol and Prohibition are supported by the analysis. Despite the fact that alcohol consumption is a positive correlate of homicide (as expected), Prohibition and its enforcement increased the homicide rate." Jensen, Gary F., "Prohibition, Alcohol, and Murder: Untangling Countervailing Mechanisms," Homicide Studies, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA, February 2000), p. 31.
US: Tight Budgets Force States To Reconsider Crime And find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing) TIGHT BUDGETS FORCE STATES TO RECONSIDER crime AND PENALTIES After three decades of building more prisons and passing http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02.n098.a01.html
Extractions: Washington State is considering a proposal by Gov. Gary Locke to shorten sentences for nonviolent crimes and drug offenses and to make it easier for inmates to win early release, saving money by shrinking the prison population. Colorado and Illinois are delaying building prisons, and Illinois is cutting education for 25,000 inmates.
Crime And Law Enforcement - Refdesk.com Federal Bureau of prisons includes a weekly population report Hate crime Report - from the FBI. Homicide Trends in the United States - This site contains a http://www.refdesk.com/crime.html
Extractions: CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT 360-degrees - Perspectives on the U.S. Criminal Justice System Alcatraz Island - offering a close-up look at the historic and infamous federal prison where isolation was a constant of island life. Bureau of Justice Statistics - comprehensive collection of statistics about U.S. crime, victims, criminals, courts, police, jails and prisons. Cop Quest - law enforcement resource for public safety personnel. Coplink Cop Net - designed specifically to facilitate the sharing of information between the law enforcement community and the citizens they protect. Cops On Line - action shots of police on the job and memorials for those who've paid ultimate price. Corrections Connection, The - online network for corrections and criminal justice professionals; including associations, prisons, sheriffs, and correctional officers. Crime Coverage - annotated links to online sites that cover various aspects of crime, from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics to the Office for Victims of Crime to the UN Crime and Justice Information Network Crime Magazine - Billing itself as "an encyclopedia of crime," this online magazine features stories on current events as well as analyses of criminal history.
Extractions: Before Texas Spends More On Prisons, Let's Think Molly Ivans 31aug00 AUSTIN, Texas The people of Texas should be gearing up to pitch a fit come January. They want us pay for more prisons. MORE prisons. We just finished the biggest prison-spending spree in history. Starting in 1991, we spent billions to more than double the number of beds in the system. They promised us that we wouldn't have to build another prison for at least a generation. And now they want more. And there's one other point. This. Is. Not. Working. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that Texas has more of its people imprisoned than any other state 163,190. That's more than California, which has 13 million more people than Texas does. The study, released this week by the Justice Policy Institute, not only finds Texas with the highest incarceration rate in the country it also finds the incarceration rate among young African-American men 63 percent higher than the national average. Nearly one out of three young black men is under some form of criminal justice control in Texas. BUT our crime rate has NOT dropped proportionately to crime in other states that did not expand their prisons and that incarcerate far fewer people.
Study Finds 2.6% Increase In U.S. Prison Population effect of draconian sentencing laws passed in the 1990 s when the states could afford to build more prisons and politicians competed to sound tough on crime. http://www.wehaitians.com/study finds 2 6 percent increase in us prison populati
Extractions: Special Report Want to send this page or a link to a friend? Click on mail at the top of this window. Posted July 28, 2003 Study Finds 2.6% Increase in U.S. Prison Population By FOX BUTTERFIELD, The New York Times T HE nation's prison population grew 2.6 percent last year, the largest increase since 1999, according to a study by the Justice Department. The jump came despite a small decline in serious crime in 2002. It also came when a growing number of states facing large budget deficits have begun trying to reduce prison costs by easing tough sentencing laws passed in the 1990's, thereby decreasing the number of inmates. Advertisement "The key finding in the report is this growth, which is somewhat surprising in its size after several years of relative stability in the prison population," said Allen J. Beck, an author of the report. Mr. Beck is the chief prison demographer for the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the statistical arm of the Justice Department, which releases an annual study of the number of people incarcerated in the United States. At the end of 2002, there were 2,166,260 Americans in local jails, state and federal prisons and juvenile detention facilities, the report found.
National Review Online (http://www.nationalreview.com) Violent offenders released from state prisons in 1992 If we hope to reduce crime rates further, we will have in PL 106386), which offers states incentives to http://www.nationalreview.com/script/printpage.asp?ref=/comment/comment-paranzin
Prisons & Prisoners, Carnegie Library Of Pittsburgh Resource Guide Information Library Learn about Pennsylvania s prisons, including Monthly Population United States. inmates, corrections officers, victims of crime, judges and http://www.carnegielibrary.org/subject/law/prisons.html
Extractions: A private, non-profit organization that is dedicated to the renewal of individuals in the criminal justice system and to their return to society as responsible citizens. Renewal offers a work release facility, intensive inpatient drug and alcohol rehab facility and outpatient drug and alcohol and MH/MR counseling.
The Crime Of Black Imprisonment findings were so nonsupportive of prisons that they are such a poor predictor of crime rates that researchers would find proximity of states to Canada http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~kastor/ceml_articles/continuing.html
Extractions: by The Committee to End the Marion Lockdown 3/27/95 The least controversial observation that one can make about American criminal justice today is that it is remarkably ineffective, absurdly expensive, grossly inhumane, and riddled with discrimination. The beating of Rodney King was a reminder of the ruthlessness and racism that characterize many big city police departments. But the other aspects of the justice system, especially sentencing practices and prison conditions, are every bit as harsh and unfair.(1) The Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML) was founded in 1985 to fight against the brutality of the United States Penitentiary at Marion. In 1987, we wrote that by the year 2000 the U.S. might have 1,000,000 people in prison. At that time U.S. prisons held 561,000 people, and most of our friends thought the notion of 1,000,000 prisoners was foolish. In the Fall of 1994, the U.S. announced that it sent its millionth human being to prison in June,(2) more than five years sooner than the projection that was considered foolish just a few years ago. What we would like to do in this paper is examine the growth of imprisonment in the U.S. We will then analyze the nature of crime, and then the relationship between crime and imprisonment. Since crime and imprisonment are in fact not closely related, we will conclude the article by discussing why the U.S. is sending so many people to prison. IMPRISONMENT
Law, Crime, And Law Enforcement -- Encyclopædia Britannica The third largest city in the United States, Chicago dominates a enforcement in the case of juvenile crime and related on human rights abuse in prisons by the http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=415204
Grim Amusements / April 7, 2003 / Prisons And Inmates At Midyear 2002 Note that prisons and jails are not the same accepted correlation with population density (crime rates are higher in large cities), so states with most http://after-words.org/grim/mtarchives/2003/04/Apr071327.shtml
Extractions: Things can only get better ... I hope. Prison Rates Among Blacks Reach a Peak, Report Finds (NY Times, April 7, 2003, registration required): An estimated 12 percent of African-American men ages 20 to 34 are in jail or prison, according to a report released yesterday by the Justice Department. The proportion of young black men who are incarcerated has been rising in recent years, and this is the highest rate ever measured, said Allen J. Beck, the chief prison demographer for the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the statistical arm of the Justice Department. By comparison, 1.6 percent of white men in the same age group are incarcerated. The report found that the number of people in United States jails and prisons exceeded 2 million for the first time last year, rising to 2,019,234. Over the next few years, I would expect that the number of people in prisons will drop slowly. Not because of any change in actual social policy or thought, but because states simply can't afford to imprison people for comparatively minor nonviolent offenses any more. Interestingly, the article uses the issue of black men in prison as its lead, and then doesnt mention that aspect again until the end.
USATODAY.com - Study: Prisons Filled At Record Pace In Clinton Years the surge in prisoners on Clinton administration initiatives that provided more money to states for prisons, police officers and crime prevention programs. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2001-02-18-prison.htm
Extractions: Click here to get the Daily Briefing in your inbox 02/18/2001 - Updated 10:38 PM ET Study: Prisons filled at record pace in Clinton years During President Clinton's eight years in office, 673,000 people were sent to state and federal prisons and jails, compared with 343,000 during President Bush's single term and 448,000 in President Reagan's two terms, says a study by the Justice Policy Institute, an arm of The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. The center advocates more balance between incarceration and treatment for criminals. The incarceration rate at the end of the Clinton administration was 476 per 100,000 citizens, versus 332 per 100,000 at the end of Bush's term and 247 per 100,000 at the end of Reagan's administration, the study said. Incarceration rates for blacks increased to 3,620 per 100,000 from around 3,000 per 100,000 people during Clinton's two terms. Two million people are behind bars and 4.5 million are on probation and parole, according to the study, which is based on Justice Department figures and estimates from 1993 to 2000.
PRISONS DO NOT WORK prisons should have two results; 1) keep dangerous many released prisoners just commit another crime and are a special report from the United States Bureau of http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~tonya/final_projects/Prisons_Don't_Work-final.html
Extractions: Right now in the United States of America murderers, rapists, and child molesters are being set free. Prisoners are watching T.V., eating a meal, and using exercise equipment while law abiding citizens are starving and living in the gutters. Prisoners even have their own periodical . Dangerous criminals are walking the streets and crime is a way of life to many Americans. In America, crime does pay because our nations prison system is not working. The nations prison system must be changed because of major problems with the system such as overcrowding and the fact that early release programs do not work. Building more jails is expensive and does not solve anything. These problems can be solved by giving prisoners no chance for parole and imprisoning only violent offenders. The non-violent offenders should enter a work program for the duration of their sentence. Since 1980, jail and prison populations have grown by 172 percent (United States 11 Sept. 1994) . Overcrowding is both inhumane to the prisoner and dangerous to the prison staff. When you put a lot of people, especially criminals, in close quarters tensions rise and the chance of a riot increases. If a riot occurs both prisoners and guards are put in danger. In Texas the jails are full. There is an estimated backlog of 29,000 state prisoners who are incarcerated in county jails awaiting new cells. (Brida 24 Nov. 1994)
Crime Is Down increasing crime, but may mean fewer users, thus decreasing crime;. Incarceration ratesfor the last 10 years most states have built new prisons at record http://www.shsu.edu/~pin_www/T@S/2000/CrimeDown.html
Extractions: But Why? S ince 1991, crime rates have been dropping. In the last year (1998) for which figures are available, major crime decreased by an estimated 7 percent nationally and 5.2 percent in Texas. Preliminary reports on the incidence of crime in 1999 indicate a continuing drop. Nationally in 1998, according to Uniform Crime Report data reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, robbery was down 11 percent, motor vehicle theft 10 percent, murder 8 percent, burglary 7 percent, larceny 6 percent, and sexual assault and aggravated assault 5 percent each. No longer is it a question of whether crime is decreasing, but of "Why?" Larry Hoover, director of the Police Research Center at Sam Houston State University, offered some answers.
Criminal Law: The University Of Waikato Library death penalty, prison labour, violence in prisons etc range of topics relating to crime and criminology Center, Administered by the United States Criminal Justice http://www.waikato.ac.nz/library/resources/law/s_crime.shtml
Extractions: Print Version Guide to Criminal Law Subject guide to Crime created by Law Library Staff. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer to read this file. Printed copies are available on the display stand in the Law Library Electronic Database Area. The British Journal of Criminology The contents pages of recent issues of this journal. Includes abstracts of articles.The full text can be found at HV6001.B862 Law Library. Australian Institute of Criminology Contains a wide range of statistics on the Australian criminal justice system including deaths in custody, deaths caused by fire arms and statistics on the Australian police service. Also has information on the structure and function of the AIC, its annual report, lists of publications, and conferences. Crime in New Zealand The first of a series of web-based analytical reports Statistics New Zealand will produce during the next three years. These reports will examine social trends and issues of current interest. This report provides an overview of the actual levels and types of recorded crime in New Zealand. crime.co.nz
Citizenship Foundation:Issues Prisons Introduction of, particularly since most return to crime on release Our prisons have become social dustbins and the only the governments Strategy Unit states that prison http://www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/main/page.php?134
Extractions: Federal Bureau of Prisons QUICK FACTS May 2004 Note: Data presented here are from BOP automated information systems. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. Number of Institutions Total Population Inmates by Security Level Inmates by Gender ... Staff by Race/Ethnicity NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS: TOTAL INMATE POPULATION: In BOP facilities: In privately managed secure facilities: 1 Includes inmates housed in privately operated secure facilities under contract with the BOP or with a state or local government that has an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the BOP. In other non-BOP facilities: 1 Includes inmates in facilities operated by a state or locality that is either under contract or under an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the BOP. Primarily includes inmates housed in jail/short-term detention, contract juveniles, home confinement, and community corrections centers. Sentenced population: 158,339 These figures are as of May 8, 2004. See the most recent weekly population figures for updates and for individual BOP institutions.
The Prison-Industrial Complex - 98.12 a straightforward explanation for why the United States has lately too many criminals committing too many crimes. Indeed, the nation s prisons now hold http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/98dec/prisons.htm
Extractions: "The purpose of The Privatization Channel is to provide a highly diverse audience of academics, correctional practitioners, investors, policy makers, and the general public with easy access to the most comprehensive, objective, reliable, and timely information that is available about correctional privatization both within and beyond the boundaries of the United States."
Search down on juvenile lawbreakers and giving states incentives to do stat the same index of violent crimes among kids that sending teens to adult prisons will onlt http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/weeklyView.cfm?articlenumber=630
