Criminal Justice 97/98

by Sullivan, John J.; Victor, Joseph L.

• ISBN13: 9780697372314
• ISBN10: 0697372316
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-02-01
• Publisher: Dushkin Pub Group

Table of Contents

To the Reader	iv
Charts and Graphs	1	(1)
Topic Guide	2	(2)
UNIT 1 Crime and Justice in America Seven selections focus on the overall structure of the criminal justice system in the United States. The current scope of crime in America is reviewed, and topics such as criminal behavior, drugs, and organized crime are discussed.	4	(34)
Overview	4	(2)
1. An Overview of the Criminal Justice System What is the sequence of events in the criminal justice system? This report reveals that the response to crime is a complex process, involving citizens as well as many agencies, levels, and branches of government.	6	(5)
Report to the Nation on Crime and Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, March 1988.
2. The Real Problems in American Justice "Each year, 4.3 million violent crimes are committed, but barely more than 200,000 people are convicted of felonies and a little over half end up going to prison," this report reveals. The 10 major "flaws" in the criminal justice system, such as plea bargaining, police failures, the jury system, and repeaters of violent crime, are discussed.	11	(3)
U.S. News & World Report, October 9, 1995.
3. What to Do about Crime James Q. Wilson discusses crime in America and those who commit it. He proposes some innovative approaches to dealing with crime, such as problem-oriented policing, expanding the right of police to stop and frisk suspects, developing technologies that will permit the police to detect from a distance persons who are carrying weapons, and enforcing truancy laws.	14	(11)
James Q. Wilson, Commentary, September 1994.
4. Who Is the Mob Today? Potent new criminal elements, mostly from Russia and China, loom ominously on the law enforcement horizon. Is "Cosa Nostra" being replaced with new ethnic crime groups?	25	(3)
Peter Maas, Parade, February 25, 1996.
5. Disintegration of the Family Is the Real Root Cause of Violent Crime, Patrick Fagan argues that "the popular assumption that there is an association between race and crime is false." He cites illegitimacy as the key factor. The absence of marriage and the failure to maintain intact families impact on the incidence of crime among whites as well as blacks.	28	(3)
Patrick F. Fagan, USA Today Magazine (Society for the Advancement of Education), May 1996.
6. The Evolution of Street Gangs: A Shift toward Organized Crime, Police lieutenant Michael McCort presents a brief history of the development of ethnic street gangs in the United States. He states that today's street gangs present a diverse and complex problem that must be dealt with in a diverse and comprehensive manner by law enforcement.	31	(4)
Michael C. McCort, The Police Chief, June 1996.
7. Experts Are at Odds on How Best to Tackle Rise in TeenAgers' Drug Use, As drug use among people in their teens begins to rise sharply, experts in drug abuse say there is an opportunity to halt this incipient epidemic in its tracks. However, there disagreement as to the right remedy.	35	(3)
Gina Kolata, New York Times, September 18, 1996.
UNIT 2 Victimology Six articles discuss the impact of crime on the victim. Topics include the rights of crime victims and the consequences of family violence and rape.	38	(48)
Overview	38	(2)
8. Criminal Victimization 1994, This report presents information on criminal victimization in the United States during 1994. Of the 42.4 million crimes U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced, 31 million were property crimes, 10.9 million were crimes of violence, and one-half million were personal thefts.	40	(8)
Craig Perkins
Patsy Klaus, Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, U.S. Department of Justice, April 1996.
9. True Crime, Safety-conscious baby boomers and the media fuel an overwhelming public fear of crime. An examination of the data reveals that much fear is misplaced. Yet the worst crimes are increasing, and life can be dangerous, especially in the	48	(9)
Cheryl Russell, American Demographics, August 1995.
10. Protecting Our Seniors, Elder abuse and neglect are coming out of the closet as police interact with social agencies to improve the quality of life for senior citizens.	57	(4)
Ronald J. Getz, Police, September 1995.
11. Nobody's Victim, Stephanie Goldberg reviews the background of prosecutor Sarah Buel. Buel left an abusive partner to save her life, and since then, she's been saving others.	61	(6)
Stephanie B. Goldberg, ABA Journal, July 1996.
12. Helping to Prevent Child Abuse--and Future Criminal Consequences: Hawai'i Healthy Start, As the criminal justice system increasingly focuses its attention on the reduction of crime and violence, the prevention of child abuse and neglect has become a critical priority.	67	(9)
Ralph B. Earle, National Institute of Justice Program Focus, October 1995.
13. Is Street Crime More Harmful than White-Collar Crime? The authors present this pro/con essay in which professor John Dilulio contends that street criminals should be the focus of crime study. Jeffrey Reiman, professor of philosophy, argues that uncorrected pollution, medical malpractice, and dangerous working conditions are far more serious than street crimes.	76	(10)
Kurt Finsterbusch
George McKenna, Dushkin Publishing Group/McGraw-Hill, 1996.
UNIT 3 The Police Six selections examine the role of the police officer. Some of the topics discussed include the stress of police work, utilization of policewomen, and ethical policing.	86	(26)
Overview	86	(2)
14. Police and the Quest for Professionalism, Professionalism has long been a goal of the American police community. Barbara Price explores some of the reasons for this and explains factors that might impede reaching this goal. Some see community policing as the key to solving the problems.	88	(2)
Barbara Raffel Price, Law Enforcement News, June 15, 1995.
15. Police Work from a Woman's Perspective, A survey of female police officers indicates that there are still some problems of acceptance, some sexual harassment, and unequal treatment. The survey also considers the impact of the job on individual women.	90	(3)
James M. Daum
Cindy M. Johns, The Police Chief, September 1994.
16. The Community's Role in Community Policing, One of the key elements in a successful community policing program is the community itself. Wesley Skogan discusses challenges in sustaining community involvement and offers some suggestions as to how to keep the public involved.	93	(3)
Wesley G. Skogan, National Institute of Justice Journal, August 1996.
17. Incorporating Diversity: Police Response to Multicultural Changes in Their Communities, Brad Bennett discusses the findings of a study undertaken to determine how four California law enforcement agencies responded to demographic changes in their communities. Bennett argues that the country is being called on to open its arms to people from many different ethnic backgrounds. He says police departments must do their parts to respond to multicultural changes.	96	(5)
Brad R. Bennett, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, December 1995.
18. LEN Interview: Police Chief Robert E. Ford of Port Orange, Fla., An experienced police administrator discusses far-ranging issues such as quality of life crimes, community policing, and, for police officers, report-writing skills and college education requirements.	101	(7)
Marie Simonetti Rosen, Law Enforcement News, September 15, 1996.
19. Police Cynicism: Causes and Cures, Cynicism is an attitude of "contemptuous distrust of human nature and motives." Cynical, distrustful police officers can hinder a department's efforts to forge collaborative relationships with the community. Wallace Graves discusses problems that can arise when cynicism creeps into a police department and suggests some remedies.	108	(4)
Wallace Graves, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, June 1996.
UNIT 4 The Judicial System Five selections discuss the process by which the accused are moved through the judicial system. Prosecutors, courts, the jury process, and judicial ethics are reviewed.	112	(34)
Overview	112	(2)
20. Abuse of Power in the Prosecutor's Office, Bennett Gershman, a distinguished law professor, discusses the power that a prosecutor possesses in determining whom to bring to trial, whom to charge with a capital crime, and what evidence will be introduced or withheld. He also cites examples of the abuse of these powers.	114	(7)
Bennett L. Gershman, The World & 1, June 1991.
21. The Rehnquist Reins, David Garrow explores the role of William H. Rehnquist as chief justice of the United States and his relationships with other members of the Supreme Court. This is an interesting insight into the personalities and the inner workings of the Court.	121	(10)
David J. Garrow, New York Times Magazine, October 6, 1996.
22. `We're in the Fight of Our Lives,' "Criminal justice in America is in a state of collapse," says Judge Harold J. Rothwax, who has presided over criminal cases in New York City for over 25 years. He argues for eliminating both the exclusionary rule and the requirement for a unanimous jury verdict, and he calls for restrictions on peremptory challenges to prospective jurors.	131	(3)
Bernard Gavzer, Parade, July 28, 1996.
23. Unlocking the Jury Box, "Jury service offers Americans an unequaled opportunity to participate democratically in the administration of justice. But on its present course, this vital egalitarian institution may shrivel up, avoided by citizens, manipulated by lawyers and litigants, and ridiculed by the general public," say Akhil and Vikram Amar. Their critical review of the jury system today makes suggestions for reform.	134	(7)
Akhil Reed Amar
Vikram David Amar, Policy Review, May/June 1996.
24. Do You Swear That You Will Well and Truly Try...? Trial by jury has had its ups and downs, but it beats what led up to it-trial by combat and ordeal by fire, water, or poison. This article presents an interesting history of the concept of trial by jury.	141	(5)
Barbara Holland, Smithsonian, March 1995.
UNIT 5 Juvenile Justice Seven selections review the juvenile justice system. The topics include effective ways to respond to violent juvenile crime, juvenile detention, and children in gangs.	146	(36)
Overview	146	(2)
25. Rethinking the Sanctioning Function in Juvenile Court: Retributive or Restorative Responses to Youth Crime, Gordon Bazemore and Mark Umbreit assert that a restorative sanctioning model could provide a clear alternative to the punishment-centered sanctioning approaches now dominant in juvenile justice. Restorative justice responds to crime by addressing the harm that results when an offense is committed, gives first priority to victim reparation, and addresses the need to build safer communities.	148	(11)
Gordon Bazemore
Mark Umbreit, Crime & Delinquency, July 1995.
26. Juvenile Probation: The Workhorse of the Juvenile Justice System, In 1993 nearly 1.5 million delinquency cases were handled by juvenile courts. Virtually every one of those cases had contact with a probation officer at some point. This report presents a comprehensive picture of juvenile probation activity in the nation.	159	(5)
Patricia McFall Torbet, Juvenile Justice Bulletin, U.S. Department of Justice, March 1996.
27. Crime Time Bomb, Rising juvenile crime, and worries that it will get worse, lead cities, states, and Congress to seek a balance between tougher laws and preventive measures.	164	(3)
U.S. News & World Report, March 25, 1996.
28. Controlling Crime before It Happens: Risk-Focused Prevention, J. David Hawkins advocates using the public health model to reduce violence in America's communities. The model calls for (1) identifying factors that put young people at risk for violence, in order to reduce or eliminate these factors, and (2) strengthening the protective factors that buffer the effects of exposure to risk.	167	(6)
J. David Hawkins, National Institute of Justice Journal, August 1995.
29. Street Gangs--Future Paramilitary Groups? "Of all the concerns related to street gangs, probably the one that should be most closely watched is the interrelationship of these gangs to the U.S. military," says Robert Bunker. "Street gang members with military training would bring a whole new dimension to law enforcement's struggle with these criminal groups."	173	(3)
Robert J. Bunker, The Police Chief, June 1996.
30. States Revamping Laws on Juveniles as Felonies Soar, "Almost all 50 states have overhauled their laws in the past two years, allowing more youths to be tried as adults and scrapping longtime protections like the confidentiality of juvenile court proceedings," Fox Butterfield reports.	176	(3)
Fox Butterfield, New York Times, May 12, 1996.
31. The Search for a Proper Punishment, "Many psychologists say that incarcerating children, in juvenile facilities or adult prisons, fails to reduce juvenile crime. They warn that warehousing delinquent youth bleeds money from rehabilitation and treatment programs that could more effectively prevent crime," writes Randall Edwards.	179	(3)
Randall Edwards, APA Monitor, December 1995.
UNIT 6 Punishment and Corrections Nine selections focus on the current state of America's penal system and the effects of sentencing, probation, overcrowding, and capital punishment on criminals.	182	(46)
Overview	182	(2)
32. Correctional Populations in the United States, 1994, An estimated 5.1 million adults were under some form of correctional supervision in 1994. Nearly three-quarters of these people were on probation or parole. About 2.7 percent of the U.S. adult resident population were under correctional care or supervision in 1994, up from 1.1 percent in 1980.	184	(3)
Bureau of Justice Statistics Executive Summary, U.S. Department of Justice, July 1996.
33. Doing Soft Time, Faced with rising crime and falling revenues, governments are looking for alternative ways to sentence and rehabilitate offenders.	187	(4)
Jon Jefferson, ABA Journal, April 1994.
34. Going to Meet the Man, Mansfield Frazier offers practical advice to fellow former inmates about field parole officers and parole supervision. After debunking some common myths, he asserts that "the new-breed parole officer would rather keep you out of the joint than send you back."	191	(2)
Mansfield B. Frazier, Prison Life, October 1996.
35. Eddie Ellis at Large, Former Black Panther Eddie Ellis spent 23 years in New York State's toughest prisons for a crime he did not commit. Released a few years ago, he has worked tirelessly to make needed changes in his own community and in the justice system.	193	(9)
Pam Widener, Prison Life, October 1996.
36. Probation's First 100 Years: Growth through Failure, During the 100-year existence of probation, inadequate resources frequently have been identified as an underlying factor contributing to the ineffectiveness of offender supervision.	202	(8)
Charles J. Lindner, Journal of Probation and Parole, Spring 1993.
37. A Woman behind Bars Is Not a Dangerous Man, Adrian LeBlanc points out that "prison administrators, corrections officers and inmates consistently express an awareness of the differences between incarcerated women and men." Yet, despite these differences, she reports, "the treatment of imprisoned women is based on a correctional model that is based on muddy assumptions about violent men."	210	(7)
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, New York Times Magazine, June 2, 1996.
38. The Color of Justice, There are more nonwhite men on death row than their Caucasian counterparts, a fact supported by the numbers. The real question is this: Is the disparity due to racial discrimination or some other not-so-black-and-white issues?	217	(6)
John H. Trumbo, Death Row, 1995.
39. Anger and Ambivalence, Most Americans support capital punishment, yet few inmates are actually executed. This essay explores the reasons why the country has mixed feelings about putting people to death.	223	(3)
David A. Kaplan, Newsweek, August 7, 1995.
40. Death Row, U.S.A., As of July 31, 1996, there had been a total of 335 executions since the 1976 reinstatement of capital punishment. This report also identifies 40 jurisdictions with capital punishment statutes, and indicates that there were 3, 153 inmates on death row.	226	(2)
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Summer 1996.
Crime Statistics	228	(9)
Glossary	237	(4)
Index	241	(3)
Article Review Form	244	(1)
Article Rating Form	245