Crime Chapter 7 Section 3

Crime Crime affects everyone-some a are victims, some are criminals, some are both; most are bystanders Crime is any act that is labeled as such by those in authority and is prohibited by law Men are more likely to be arrested than women 2/3 of all arrests are made against whites 30% of arrests made are against African-Americans (only 13% of the population) 44% of arrests involve people under 25

Types of Crimes Violent Crimes: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault Small percentage of all crime committed A violent crime is committed every 22 seconds in the U.S. Property Crime: involves stealing or intentionally damaging someone else’s property Burglary, larceny, MV theft, and arson Much more common than violent crime A property crime is committed every 3 seconds in the U.S.

Types of Crimes Victimless Crime: crimes that hurt no one but the person committing the act Prostitution, gambling, drug use, and vagrancy These can have significant consequences for society White-collar Crime: offenses committed by people of high social status in the course of their professional lives Misrepresentation, fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement, price-fixing, insider trading, pollution, and political corruption Organized Crime: Crime Syndicate (large-scale organization of professional criminals that controls some vice or business through violence)

Statistics Two major sources of crime information and statistics UCR (Uniform Crime Reports) FBI uses data from local police departments to compile nationwide statistics NCVS (National Crime Victimization Survey) gathers information from crime victims about reported and unreported crimes

Criminal-Justice System Once a crime has been committed and reported, it falls under the jurisdiction of the criminal-justice system, made up of the police, the courts, and the corrections departments Police: hold immediate control over arrests for crimes. They investigate and collect evidence. Police discretion is the power to determine who gets arrested. Seriousness of the crime Wishes of the victim Suspect’s attitude If bystander’s are present Race of suspect

Criminal-Justice System Court: once arrested, the accused are the responsibility of the courts. 1. Courts hold a trail to determine innocence or guilt. 2. Courts assign punishment in the care of guilt. Plea Bargaining- the process of legal negotiation that allows an accused person to plead guilty to a lesser charge in return for a lighter sentence Corrections: Sanctions used to punish criminals. Retribution-punishing serves as a socially acceptable form of revenge Deterrence-used to discourage offenders from committing future crimes Rehabilitation- reform criminals so they can re-enter society Social protection- society protects itself by limiting the freedom of criminals Recidivism- repeated criminal behavior

Juvenile-Justice System Younger persons are not expected to be as responsible as adults Juveniles need special, more considerate treatment. Same rights as adults Sometimes, juveniles can be tried as adults depending on their age and the anture of the crime

Homework Pg. 174 #1-6