NCJ Number
3188
Date Published
1964
Length
552 pages
Annotation
This book follows the theoretical emphasis that crime in the United States is fundamentally an expression of the general culture.
Abstract
Part I discusses the relationship of the crime problem to the unique culture, examines the nature and sources of criminal statistics, and describes briefly the history of criminology as a science. Part II begins with a discussion of the futility of viewing crime wholly as a manifestation of individual traits, contending that as a social phenomenon crime must be explained at a societal rather than an individual level. Next, there is a discussion of a variety of specific social conditions and processes relevant to an understanding of crime. Part III is concerned with the agencies of society charged with the responsibility of suppressing crime, apprehending and trying suspects, and dealing with convicted persons. The strengths and weaknesses of these agencies are seen as explainable in large measure by their positions in our political and social systems. Author abstract modified