CRJ 11011

Crime Control vs. Due Process

  • Crime Control:

    • Focuses on the need to protect the public through speed and efficiency.

  • Due Process:

    • Emphasizes protection of individual rights, ensuring that procedures are properly followed.

  • Model differences in processing:

    • Weeding cake model by case type.

Criminal Justice (CJ) Process

Law Enforcement

  • Initial contact → Investigation → Arrest → Booking

Courts

  • Initial appearance → Preliminary Hearing → Grand jury or information → Arraignment → Trial → Sentencing → Appeals → Corrections

Corrections

  • Sanction → Release

Perspectives of Crime

  • Crime cases do not always flow through the CJ process linearly; they may drop out at any stage.

  • Jurisdiction rules and individual biases significantly affect the process.

Legal Perspective

  • Crime is viewed as a violation of criminal laws.

Social Perspective

  • Crime definitions vary by societal norms.

Behavioral Perspectives

  • Crime is determined by specific actions and their consequences.

Problems with Defining Crime

  1. Variations Among Groups:

    • Different societal groups may have varying perceptions of deviance.

  2. Temporal Variations:

    • Societal attitudes evolve over time.

  3. Spatial Variations:

    • Different places have distinct normative standards.

Forms of Criminalization

  1. Overcriminalization:

    • Criminalizing actions that should not be considered crimes.

  2. Nonenforcement:

    • Laws exist but are not enforced equally.

  3. Undercriminalization:

    • Certain behaviors that should be criminalized (e.g. cyberbullying) are not.

Measurements of Crime

Corpus Delicti Components

  1. Actus Reus:

    • "Guilty act"; the action in question.

  2. Mens Rea:

    • "Guilty mind"; intent, negligence, or strict liability.

  3. Concurrence:

    • Combination of the act and the mental state.

  4. Causation:

    • The act leads to resulting harm.

  5. Harm:

    • The act results in injury or damage.

Types of Intent

  1. Specific Intent:

    • Intention to perform an act with desire for consequences.

  2. General Intent:

    • Intention to perform an act without desiring consequences.

  3. Transferred Intent:

    • Harm intended for one individual accidentally affects another.

  4. Criminal Negligence:

    • Unintentional harm caused by negligence.

  5. Nonstrict Liability:

    • Liability for an action regardless of intent.

Crime Reporting Systems

Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

  • Law enforcement agencies voluntarily report:

    • Known offenses.

    • Clearances of offenses.

    • Part I Offenses include:

      • Homicide, Forcible rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny theft, Motor vehicle theft, Arson.

    • Part II Offenses:

      • 20 additional offenses, including status offenses (e.g., running away).

National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

  • Developed in 1985; transitioned to NIBRS only on January 1, 2021.

  • Collection Differences:

    • Eliminates hierarchy rule allowing each incident and arrest to be reported.

    • Includes victim characteristics and relationships to offenders.

    • Adds details about location and nature of offenses.

Crime Patterns & Typologies

Violent Crime Trends

  • Times of day associated with specific offenses:

    • Shoplifting peaks during lunch and after work.

    • Car break-ins common in early mornings.

  • Seasonal Variations:

    • Bike thefts increase in summer months.

    • Package thefts rise during holidays.

Summary of Crime Patterns

  • Younger individuals are more likely to offend and be victims.

  • The Southern US has historically higher crime rates.

  • Overrepresentation of Black/African Americans in crime statistics.

  • Males commit more crimes than females.

  • Certain crime types are prevalent in specific communities.

  • Crime rates vary over time.

  • Lower socioeconomic classes are disproportionately represented as offenders.

Homicide

  • Definition: Killing of a human being.

  • Murder: A subset of homicide without justification (self-defense, etc.).

  • Homicide Subtypes:

    1. Murder: 1st degree (premeditated) or 2nd degree.

    2. Manslaughter: Voluntary (intent) or involuntary (reckless).

    3. Negligent Homicide: Knowing the difference between right and wrong.

    4. Mass, Spree, or Serial Murder:

      • Mass murder: 4+ victims in one location.

      • Spree murder: Two or more murders in multiple locations without respite.

      • Serial murder: 3+ murders over significant time, across separate events.

Active Shooting Incident Types

  • Attack Methods:

    1. Blitz: Immediate violent attack (punching, kicking).

    2. Snatch Theft: Quick theft attempt.

    3. Confrontation: Threatening verbally to gain compliance.

    4. Con: Distracting the target prior to attack.