NCJ Number
15114
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (JULY 1974) Pages: 124-143
Date Published
1974
Length
20 pages
Annotation
A CORRELATION ANALYSIS OF THE SEVERITY AND CERTAINTY OF PUNISHMENT AND OFFENSE RATES FOR THE MAJOR INDEX CRIMES PRODUCES RESULTS CONSISTENT WITH THE PREDICTIONS OF DETERRENCE THEORY.
Abstract
CERTAINTY OF PUNISHMENT PROVES TO BE THE CHIEF DETERRENT FOR MOST CRIMES. HOMICIDE, HOWEVER, IS INFLUENCED BY SEVERITY, POSSIBLY REFLECTING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HOMICIDE AND OTHER OFFENSES. LITTLE EVIDENCE OF INTERACTION IS FOUND BETWEEN CERTAINTY AND SEVERITY IN EFFECTS ON CRIME RATE. A POWER FUNCTION PROVES TO BETTER DESCRIBE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PUNISHMENT VARIABLES AND CRIME RATES THAN A RECTILINEAR EQUATION - A CONCLUSION WHICH, EVEN APART FROM THE DATA, APPEARS MORE REASONABLE THAN THE REVERSE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)