Crime and Incarceration ALC – Summer 2007 Alicia Simmons

Questions for Today 1.How much crime is there? 2.What are the trends in incarceration? 3.What are the social impacts of incarceration?

1. How Much Crime? Different types of crime –Property –Violent The number of occurrences The % of the population that are victims

The Big Picture 2005: approximately 23 million crimes in the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, % 80%

Property Crimes Motor vehicle theft Burglary Theft

Property Crime Statistics (2005) # of crimes% of victims Motor vehicle theft 2.5 million0.8 Burglary8.93 Theft Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005

What Cars are Stolen Most Often?

Property crime # of crimes = 46.5 million% victims in pop.= 15% Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005

Violent crimes Simple & aggravated assault Robbery Rape Homicide

Violent Crime Statistics (2005) # of crimes% of victims Simple assault4.1 million1 Aggravated assault Robbery785, Rape151, Homicide30, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005

Violent crime # of crimes = 6.3 million% victims in pop.= 3% Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005

2. Trends in Incarceration Incarceration around the world Current trends and their causes in the U.S. Impacts on specific groups

Incarceration Around the World 874,1711,548,498

2,193,798

Incarceration Rate (per 100,000 population)

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Causes of Prison Growth Pre 1970s: Indeterminate Sentencing 1970s – today: Tough on Crime –Politicization of crime –Growing conservative climate –American individualism Mauer, 2001

Determinant Sentencing Moves us from an offender-based to an offense-based system 88% of  in incarceration from is due to changes in punishment –51% results from  in the number of people doing time –37% results from  in term length Mauer, 2001

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Did Prison Growth Cause the Crime Drop? Ways an  in incarceration could lead to a  in crime –Rehabilitation: fixing criminals –Incapacitation: stopping current criminals –Deterrence: stopping future criminals : incarceration  the crime rate 2-5% Western, 2006

Impact on Specific Groups Immigrants Gender Race Social class

Immigrants & Crime Longstanding public fear of immigrant crime 1 st generations do not commit many crimes –2 nd and 3 rd generations commit more Martinez & Valenzuela, 2006

Gender and Incarceration Bureau of Justice Statistics

Race & Incarceration Free pop.Incarcerated pop. Lifetime likelihood of incarceration Black12%4330 Hispanic35 20 White

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Social Class & Incarceration % in Prison or Jail by Social Class and Race Males age White1.6% Hispanic4.6 Black11.5 Non-College Males age White3.2 Hispanic5.5 Black17.0 High School Dropout Males age White6.7 Hispanic6.0 Black32.4

Tying the Trends Together Mass imprisonment: –“A rate of imprisonment and a size of prison population that is markedly above the historical and comparative norm for societies of this type.” (1) –“Social concentration of imprisonment’s effects.” (1) Garland, 2006

Why are things Unequal? Racial bias in the following institutions –Police: racial profiling –Courts: unequal representation –Laws: powder vs. crack cocaine A double standard exists for the upper vs. lower classes –Creates legitimacy issues Cole, 2001

3. What are the Social Impacts? Stereotypes –Police interactions –Job opportunities

Stereotype: a conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image that a person applies to both a group and each individual within it –Black men are stereotyped as criminals –Whites are stereotyped as law abiding citizens

Interactions with the Police Black men are often wary of interactions with the police Worried about being innocent but getting into trouble –Demeanor with police Convictions create records that follow throughout your life Anderson, 1990

Job Opportunities Pager, 2003

Questions for Today 1.How much crime is there? 2.What are the trends in incarceration? 3.What are the social impacts of incarceration?