Continuity and Discontinuity in Criminal Careers

by Tracy, Paul E.; Kempf-Leonard, Kimberly

• ISBN13: 9780306453472
• ISBN10: 0306453479
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-11-01
• Publisher: Plenum Pub Corp

Summary

This unique volume reports on a longitudinal study of a cohort of 27,160 persons who were born in 1958. Tracy and Kempf-Leonard examine the group's transition from the legal status of juvenile to that of adult, outlining the factors that predict the transition from delinquent to adult criminal careers. In addition, they analyze those factors predictive of the transition from a non-delinquent prior history to adult crime. Other chapters discuss significant policy issues that juvenile courts should consider in order to dispose of delinquency cases effectively.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(16)
Foundations of the Criminal Career Concept	3	(5)
Contemporary Perspective on the Criminal Career Concept	8	(3)
Critique of the Criminal Career Paradigm	11	(6)
Theoretical and Policy Considerations	17	(18)
Theoretical Considerations	18	(9)
The Classical Perspective	19	(2)
The Positive Perspective	21	(3)
Integration Efforts	24	(3)
Policy Considerations	27	(8)
The Juvenile Justice Policy Arena	28	(3)
The Criminal Justice Policy Arena	31	(4)
Review of Related Research	35	(20)
Career Continuity Research	37	(18)
Career Continuity Issues in Previous Research	44	(11)
Research Design and Methodology	55	(24)
Research Design	55	(1)
Population versus Sampling	56	(7)
Data	63	(2)
Specification of Variables	65	(5)
Juvenile Delinquency	65	(1)
Adult Offender Status	66	(1)
Offense Seriousness	67	(2)
Delinquency Specialization	69	(1)
Juvenile Court Dispositions	69	(1)
Demographic Variables	70	(1)
Technique of Investigation	70	(1)
Analysis Strategy	71	(2)
Range of Statistical Analysis	73	(2)
Data Limitations and Constraints	75	(4)
Criminal History Data	75	(1)
Socioeconomic Status	76	(1)
Migratory Cases	77	(2)
The Prevalence of Adult Criminality	79	(30)
Delinquency Status and Adult Status	79	(7)
Delinquency Groups and Adult Status	86	(4)
Delinquency Groups and Adults Offender Groups	90	(4)
Discontinuity: Nondelinquent Adult Criminals	94	(12)
Prevalence Summary	106	(3)
Predicting Adult Crime Status from Delinquency, Age, Frequency, and Court Dispositions	109	(34)
Age, Timing of Delinquency, and Adult Status	110	(8)
Frequency of Delinquency and Adult Status	118	(8)
Juvenile Court Dispositions and Adult Status	126	(11)
Summary	137	(6)
Age and Timing of Delinquency	137	(2)
Frequency of Delinquency	139	(1)
Juvenile Court Dispositions	140	(3)
Predicting Adult Crime Status from Type of Delinquency	143	(38)
Type of Delinquency and Adult Status	145	(16)
Offense Types for Males	145	(9)
Offense Types for Females	154	(7)
Delinquency Concentration and Adult Status	161	(15)
Offense Concentration among Males	164	(7)
Offense Concentration among Females	171	(5)
Summary	176	(5)
Predicting Adult Crime Status from the Severity of the Delinquency Career	181	(22)
Juvenile Severity and Adult Status for Males	183	(11)
Basic Measures of Offense Severity	183	(6)
The Timing of Changes in Offense Severity	189	(4)
The Severity of Early Delinquency	193	(1)
Juvenile Severity and Adult Status for Females	194	(6)
Basic Measures of Offense Severity	195	(1)
The Timing of Changes in Offense Severity	196	(3)
The Severity of Early Delinquency	199	(1)
Severity Summary	200	(3)
Summary of Results	203	(16)
Basic Measures of Continuity and Discontinuity	206	(2)
Age, Timing, and Frequency of Juvenile Offenses	208	(1)
Juvenile Justice Intervention	208	(2)
Type of Delinquency and Adult Status	210	(1)
Delinquency Concentration and Adult Status	211	(4)
Seriousness of Delinquency	215	(4)
Basic Measures of Offense Severity	215	(1)
The Timing of Changes in Offense Severity	216	(1)
The Severity of Early Delinquency	217	(2)
Implications for Theory and Policy	219	(26)
Implications for Theory	220	(4)
Implications for Policy	224	(7)
Social Policy: Reform Society	224	(2)
Juvenile Justice Policy	226	(5)
Policy Recommendations	231	(14)
Higher Priority for Juvenile Justice	232	(1)
Juvenile Justice Recommendations	233	(12)
References	245	(12)
Name Index	257	(4)
Subject Index	261