NCJ Number
101161
Date Published
1985
Length
13 pages
Annotation
U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese reviews recent U.S. crime trends, law enforcement effectiveness, changes in uniform crime reports, and trends in sentencing and criminal procedures.
Abstract
He observes that the National Crime Survey shows a significant decline in victimization rates for major crimes (except for rape) in the last 3 years (1982-85) as a result of effective law enforcement, interagency cooperation, and police-citizen cooperation. Citizen fear of crime has remained high, largely due to the high number of dangerous offenders in the community. This can be changed by incarcerating more serious offenders for longer periods, which will require more prison construction. Criminal procedure rules must be reformed to facilitate police factfinding without compromising citizens' essential rights. Reforms are particularly needed in the areas of voluntary confessions and the exclusion of evidence.