Reducing Crime - Salisbury University



Rights Issues & Reducing Crime Lecture Outline

Group Discussion Issues to Consider

Reducing Crime: 1. How is Criminal Justice System like a Funnel? What portion of crime victimizations are reported, lead to arrest, to imprisonment? How much would it cost to double imprisonment rates? Why focus on top of funnel instead of bottom? (Barkan Ch. 17)

2. Define the 3 different types of Prevention (Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary)? What does each focus on in general; how do they differ; how ado they overlap? What are at least 3 examples of prevention measures for each type? Which do think would work best? (Barkan, Ch 17)

3. What are the flaws of drug prohibition, esp. re: violence, race and class? What does Moskos think should be done instead, esp. role of police (re: arrests) if not lawmakers & policy (regulation, taxation, education), what does Nethlands case show? (Moskos’ 177-83 & Epilogue) With what type(s) of Crime Prevention do his proposals fit (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary)?

4. What sorts of Anti-crime measures does Soering (web rdg.) see as most effective re: poverty, programs for children & fragile families? With what type(s) of Crime Prevention do his proposals fit (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary) & why?

5. What sorts of ant-crime and anti-gang strategies are seen as most promising? How did David Kennedy’s project reduce gang violence and overt drug markets? What is role of police, social service providers, economic opportunities & families? (Bolderson and D'Alessandro, & Kennedy web rdgs) What type(s) of Crime Prevention do his proposals fit?

Rights Issues 6. What sort of police corruption & brutality does Venkatesh (ch.7) learn about in the projects? Why does it occur? Venkatesh threatened? Police like a gang? What useful things do police do, also?

7. What right to defense in court do indigent suspects have, and what factors limit this in practice? (Rachlin, web rdg.)

8. How does the Patriot Act expand govt. search authority, and with any oversight, limited to terrorism only? (ACLU web rdg.) What sort of Surveillance is the military doing on citizens & on who? Rights issues at stake? What is a National Security Letter by FBI? Who can be targeted, what info? Any oversight? How often has FBI violated law or rules? (Lichtblau et al. web rdg.)

9. What is Habeas Corpus, & what does new law do to it for non-citizens in and out of the US? Does this apply only to “enemy combatants”? Why is judicial review important? What are the Constitutional criteria for removing Habeas Corpus? (Greenhouse, et al.)

Key Rights– which of these are violated in readings?:

1st Amendment--Right to Free Speech, assembly, & petition (peaceful protest) –

4th Amendment—Freedom from unreasonable search & seizure (probable cause & warrants)

5th Amendment—Right against Self-incrimination & Double jeopardy, & Rt. to Due Process

6th Amendment—Right to Speedy, Fair Public Jury Trial, be informed of offense & evidence

14th Amendment—Right to Equal Protection under the Law & to Due Process

Larger Issue—What Oversight of those with Power & Authority? How to control?

Lecture & Most Group Discussion points (& a few hints on materials not discussed):

Criminal Justice System as Funnel (Barkan)

# crimes & victimizations VS. # people sent to prison (know the pattern, not the exact %’s or #’s)

Cost of doubling imprisonment / punishment, & why prevention is more efficient…

3 types of Prevention (Barkan):

1. Primary Prevention –Structural Macro approach – Social, Cultural, Community factors (more structural overall). Reduce criminogenic conditions in high crime neighborhoods.

I listed some specific measures…More jobs & economic assistance for the poor, increased social integration & social institutions in poor neighbiorhoods, change male socialization, etc. (I mentioned a few & you should look in text as well)

[--e.g., Soering rdg. call for reducing poverty and focusing on kids programs fits here; Bolderson and D’Alessandro web rdg. on need for more youth programs and mentoring fit here as instance of Increased Social Integration & Stronger Institutions. ]

Note: I especially pointed out that some aspects of Barkan’s categorizing as Primary Prevention the Increased Social Integration & Stronger Institutions in urban neighborhoods (with focus on youth programs & mentoring) overlapped a good bit with his Secondary Prevention measures focused on early childhood development for at risk families and people (Secondary Prev. seems to focus on younger children more). Also, his call for Improved Schools as Secondary Prev. seems to overlap with Primary Prev. call for Improved Institutions, as schools are Institutions.

2. Secondary Prevention– Process & Developmental approach – Focus on at-risk individuals, esp. children, esp. early childhood development and their fragile families. Realize that most criminal offenders are from a small umber of poor, dysfunctional families that have a lot of abuse and neglect, so focus on those and aiding and prevent their problems.

–Listed specific measures suggested… such as pre-school, quality day care, pre and post natal visits, home visits by nurses & Soc. Workers, Improved schols (I mentioned a few & you should look in text as well).

Group discussion point focused on this category, esp. issue of child care and child intervention for fragile families to reduce child abuse and neglect.

--Also, noted as e.g. ion lecture, Salisbury articles calling for more youth programs could fit here, though not so early childhood development focused so maybe fit more into Primary prevention as building institutions & social integration.

[ Note: Also, much of what Soering web rdg. says re: aid for families at risk fits here, as do .]

3. Tertiary Prevention –(more narrow, focus on Criminal Justice approach, & how to reduce recidivism) & listed a few specific measures, note emphasis is NOT on increasing punishments…but rather more use of community corrections for non-violent low-level & drug offenders, emphasis on rehabilitation services – also I did not mentioned but Barkan notes some drug alws should be repealed (I mentioned a few & you should look in text as well)

-- Group discussion and lecture point on Moskos Ch,. 7 & Epliogue fits with Barkans’ Tertiary measure of repeal at least some drug laws. Moskos over-viewed rise of crack problems in poor African American neighborhoods and violence with it. He posed Netherlands as an alternative policy model, as well as police focusing more on violent crime and not drug arrests.

-- [See Homeboys Industries getting jobs for ex-Gang members to reduce recidivism (Bolderson and D’Alessandro web rdg..)

-- [Also, see NPR web rdg interview with David Kennedy on his successful, innovative approach to reducing violent crime in the poorest crime-ridden neighborhoods by meeting with gang members and the 3 things they are told]

--Hint for Test Questions -- Basically be able to relate Moskos and the prevention oriented web rdg. (Soering, Bolderson and D’Alessandro, and NPR) web rdg. to Barkan’s 3 types of Prevention

Rights Issues

Habeas Corpus Update-- Senate approved measure to allow indefinite detention by military of anyone (including US citizens) suspected of aiding terrorist groups. This basically revokes Habeas Corpus and goes much further than previous similar laws aimed at non-citizens (See Geenhouse et al. rdg.)

Patriot Act – 3 key provision increasing search and surveillance authority and reduced requirements for search warrants. (ACLU web rdg.)

E.G., National Security letters by FBI, and who can be targeted, what info and kept how long? Any oversight? (Lichtblau et al. web rdg.)

Key Rights– which of these are violated in readings?:

1st Amendment--Right to Free Speech, assembly, & petition (peaceful protest) –

4th Amendment—Freedom from unreasonable search & seizure (probable cause & warrants)

5th Amendment—Right against Self-incrimination & Double jeopardy, & Rt. to Due Process

6th Amendment—Right to Speedy, Fair Public Jury Trial, be informed of offense & evidence

14th Amendment—Right to Equal Protection under the Law & to Due Process

Larger Issue—What Oversight of those with Power & Authority? How to control? Role of Judicial review and Checks and Balances of power (Agaion, Greenhouse et al web rdg. has some of this)

Other things to know for test but not covered in class or mentioned above – most from discussion Q’s:

6. What sort of police corruption & brutality does Venkatesh (ch.7) learn about in the projects? Why does it occur? Venkatesh threatened? Police like a gang? What useful things do police do, also?

7. What right to defense in court do indigent suspects have, and what factors limit this in practice? (Rachlin, web rdg.)

& Part of Q. 8 What sort of Surveillance is the military doing on citizens & on who? Rights issues at stake? (Lichtblau et al. web rdg.)]

And hints for the few (4-5 multiple choice) Cumulative Questions that will be on the exam, things to know in pretty general way for final, review from earlier test units & earlier tests:

• Victim –Offender relationship issue

• Gender explanations for men and women differing crime rates

• Race and ethnic differences in crime and explanations for Crime rate trends & key explanations for that

• White-collar compared to Street Crime

• Basic crime & victimization data Patterns re: Social Class, Gender, Age, Race & Ethnicity

Don’t get too worked up about these cumulative question topics: Just review a bit of very basic info. Much of it you should already be familiar with, as we have hit on them repeatedly during the term on many topics.

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