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Trends in Crime, Victimisation and Punishment (From Alternatives to Prison: Options for an Insecure Society, P 28-58, 2004, Anthony Bottoms, Sue Rex, et al. eds. -- See NCJ-210129)

NCJ Number
210131
Author(s)
Chris Lewis
Date Published
2004
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This chapter summarizes trends in crime, victimization, and punishment in the three United Kingdom jurisdictions, England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland from 1980 to 2003.
Abstract
In this chapter, statistical information is presented from crime, victimization and punishment surveys from three United Kingdom jurisdictions (England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) from 1980 to 2003. The data covers crime trends, public perceptions of statistics and trends, international comparisons of victimization, trends in detection, trends in punishment, prison population subgroups, legislation and policy initiatives affecting prison populations, treatment initiatives, and management of prison populations. Main conclusions drawn from the statistics presented include: (1) trends in crime, victimization, and punishment are not the inevitable consequences of social and economic forces that cannot be controlled; (2) trends in punishment result from political action manifested in criminal justice structures, resources made available, and government priorities on the level of crime acceptable to the general public; (3) governments and justice agencies can control the size of their prison populations if they want; (4) more study should be made of jurisdictions in Europe that have reduced the prison population by introducing the concept of administrative crime for minor offenses and imposing financial sanctions for the same offenses; (5) youth justice policies in England and Wales since 1998 seem to be promising; (6) ensure that new legislation does not have an unfair impact on subgroups, such as females or minorities; and (7) the public needs more education in understanding the impact of criminal justice policies and in the measures of crime. Tables, notes, and references