NCJ Number
80917
Date Published
1980
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This article recognizes the general lack of crime prevention training throughout Latin America and urges implementation of crime prevention planning and training efforts at both interdisciplinary and specialized areas of expertise.
Abstract
It is emphasized that crime prevention strategies must be coordinated at all levels of the criminal justice process -at the pretrial stages as well as during trial proceedings, correctional treatment, and postrelease programming. Furthermore, community awareness of primary crime prevention measures must be heightened to reduce opportunities for crime, which will ultimately be reflected in reduced crime rates and prison populations. The media should avoid sensationalizing criminal events and present them realistically, with emphasis on the gravity of lawbreaking behavior and the danger such activity presents to the general population. The role of social workers in crime prevention should be recognized, and research should be undertaken to clarify such criminogenic factors as urban slum conditions and their relationship to criminality. The training of police officers in patrol units is crucial, since patrol officers handle 90 percent of all crime interventions. Correspondingly, judicial and corrections officers and postrelease workers should also receive specialized training aimed at reducing recidivism. Obstacles to improved training programs include the lack of resources and the rigidity of institutional structures and personnel, as well as resistance and unwillingness to cooperate by the various professional disciplines involved. Nevertheless, interdisciplinary cooperation is the only viable approach to crime prevention in the long run.