NCJ Number
7675
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1972) Pages: 12-45
Date Published
1972
Length
20 pages
Annotation
THE CRIME-SPECIFIC PERSPECTIVE APPROACHES CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROBLEMS BY CONSIDERING SUBPROBLEMS CATEGORIZED ACCORDING TO TYPE OF OFFENSE.
Abstract
ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE LAW ENFORCEMENT, ON THE ONE HAND, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, ON THE OTHER, RESULT IN AN IMPASSE WHICH PROHIBITS OPTIMIZATION OF THE OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS IS ALMOST ALWAYS BASED ON ONE OF TWO CONCEPTUAL MODELS - THE PROCESS MODEL OR THE COMPONENT MODEL. THIS PAPER INTRODUCES A THIRD CONCEPTUALIZATION WHICH IS DESCRIBED AS THE CRIMESPECIFIC MODEL. THIS FRAMEWORK SHOULD FACILITATE PLANNING AND ACTION IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. MORE PRAGMATIC GOALS ABOUT SPECIFIC CRIMES COULD BE SET AND THE EVALUATION OF THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THESE GOALS WOULD BE MORE DIRECT. NEW CONCEPTS OF ORGANIZATION THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM WOULD BE PRODUCED AND THE MANAGEMENT OF DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS WOULD BE STREAMLINED. IN ORDER FOR THE CRIME-SPECIFIC PERSPECTIVE TO BE USED, TWO CONDITIONS MUST EXIST. FIRST, THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE COMMISSION OF THE OFFENSE AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENDER MUST BE MEASURABLY DIFFERENT FOR EACH OFFENSE CATEGORY. SECOND, THESE DIFFERENCES MUST REMAIN STABLE OVER TIME AND ACROSS JURISDICTIONS. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE EXTENT TO WHICH EVENTS AND OFFENDERS MEET THESE CONSTRAINTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)