Criminological theories that neglect the ironic interdependence between crime and the normal functioning of the American social system will be unable to explain the preoccupation with crime that so dramatically separates the United States from other developed societies. Significant reductions in crime will not result from reforms limited to the criminal justice system which is itself shaped in important ways by the same cultural and social forces that produce high crime rates. Social reforms that widen access to legitimate opportunities for individuals who are "locked out" of the "American Dream" will not bring relief from the crimes of those who are "locked in" and exposed to limitless imperatives in the absence of moderating social forces. Crime reduction will require fundamental social transformations that few Americans desire. The individualistic bias of contemporary criminology and the institutional dynamics of crime are examined. 47 references, 16 notes, and 2 figures