CJS/231 Version 3 / 2
Week Four Read Me First
Types of Crime
Introduction
This week focuses on types of crime and different categories of criminal behavior, including crimes against persons,crimes against property,white-collar crime and organized crime, andpublic order and drug crimes.
This Week in Relation to the Course
A variety of crimes, including those against a person, against property, white-collar, and organized crime, will be the focus of this week’s discussion. Many times, in the existing criminal justice system, crime occurs before action is taken. Crime prevention is an area focused on discouraging criminal activity from occurring in the first place.
Discussion of a Key Point, Thread, or Objective
Crime typology Asset forfeiture
Expressive crime Ethnic succession
Rape shield law Organized crime
Victim precipitation Transnational organized crime
Booster Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring
Drug trafficking Program (ADAM)
Gateway offense Drug-related crime
Jockey Heroin Signature Program
Offense specialization Pharmaceutical diversion
National Crime Victimization Survey Violence Against Women Act
National Incident-Based Reporting System Arson
Violent Criminal Apprehension Program Burglary
Larceny-theft Money laundering
Securities fraud Ponzi scheme
White-collar crime Wickersham commission
Prostitution
Practical Applications and Questions
Instead of focusing predominately on the criminal offender, substantial research is now being devoted to the study of crime and crime prevention strategies. The comprehensive approach—referred to as situational crime prevention—seeks to address why criminal events occur in particular settings and considers attributes of the criminal offender. Situational crime prevention assumes a much broader approach to understanding crime. The environment and the behaviors of the criminal offender are considered.
Drug crimes are unlike many of the crimes previously discussed—some professionals call drug offenses victimless crimes. Though they may be victimless to some, they certainly have been a dominating interest of the criminal justice system. Similar to the effects of Prohibition, major problems in official corruption have also occurred. The presence of drug crime is something you will have to face as a citizen or employee of the criminal justice system.
The appropriateness of legislating morality is central to the debate concerning the legality of prostitution—for both the prostitute and the customer. The danger, risk, and harm associated with prostitution depends on a number of variables that serve as the foundation for a typology of prostitution. Are some types of prostitution better, and therefore more acceptable, than others? Even feminists disagree on their perspectives on prostitution, with exploitation on one side of the spectrum and liberation on the other side. What positive and negative impact might legalization or decriminalization have on prostitution?
How Tools, Readings, and Simulations Help Solidify Concepts
Ch. 9 discusses various types of violent crime in America, including homicide, rape, robbery, assault, workplace violence, stalking, and terrorism. Each one of these crimes is discussed in terms of the relevant research.
For example, it is very difficult to measure rape because rape is not reported to the police in many instances. Consequently, other sources of information have had to be developed. One of the reasons it is difficult to obtain good information about the incidence of rape has to do with ancient common law. Ancient common law definitions of rape did not recognize male victims of rape or rape occurring within marriage. This was accepted policy within the United States until the 1970s. Common law rules also required that the victim resist and have corroboration for what occurred. Reformed rape laws were designed to be similar to other kinds of violent crime. The majority of rape cases involve individuals who are acquaintances. College and university campuses typically have a high occurrence of this type of rape. There is also a discussion of rape taking place within prisons.
Ch. 10 relates to several types of property crime, including larceny or theft, burglary, stolen property, and arson. An important distinction is made between professional and persistent offenders. Persistent offenders are those who are opportunistic and who do not specialize in any particular crime. Due to their lack of skill as criminals, they are often caught. Professional thieves, in contrast, do specialize and plan their activities very carefully. They are not often caught and are able to earn a living from their crimes. The rest of the chapter provides specific research findings relating to each crime.
Ch. 11 covers two other forms of crime: white-collar and organized crime. More recently, the focus of white-collar definitions has shifted to the types of offenses committed. Another category of white-collar crime is corporate crime or crime that is committed for the benefit of the corporation rather than the offender.
The remainder of the chapter concerns organized crime. Many organized groups, such as La Cosa Nostra and the Mafia, came to America during previous immigration waves. While immigrants brought their customs with them from the old country, the real development of organized crime occurred after Prohibition. The effects of Prohibition were recognized very early in its history and a major investigatory commission of the time, the Wickersham Commission, mentioned the corrupting influence that Prohibition was having on law enforcement.
Organized crime is particularly interested in racketeering, vice, theft and fence rings, gangs, and terrorism. The chapter also discusses the motivation for organized crime activities and its code of conduct. The next stage in the development of organized crime is transnational organized crime. These are organized criminal groups that operate across national boundaries. A key issue for American law enforcement is whether existing laws or treaties are sufficient to tackle organized crime.
Ch. 12 concerns public order and drug crimes. The chapter begins by discussing the several sources of data about drug abuse. Some of these sources rely on arrest data, but others rely on anonymous survey information, because the police do not know about all drug usage. Due to the limited information about usage, the costs of substance abuse are also difficult to measure. Cost figures include an estimate of the amount of money actually spent on the drugs, expenditures by law enforcement and criminal justice processing in their efforts to contain usage, costs for rehabilitation programs, and other indirect costs. Indirect costs can be related to illness and death after substance use, drug-related crime, family fragmentation, and so on.
The chapter additionally speaks about the seven main categories of controlled substances, their effects on the body, and where they typically come from. There is a historical sketch of drug control policy in the United States. Before the early 1900s, there were no restrictions on drugs and they could openly be bought or sold. Over the years, many laws were passed that strengthened regulations. Altogether, there are five main initiatives that are used to control illicit substances. Current policy mainly supports antidrug legislation and strict enforcement. From a cost perspective, the war on drugs has been extremely expensive. All phases of the criminal justice system have become drug-driven and some people are now starting to consider alternatives to current policy.
The chapter then examines the crime of prostitution, provides a typology of prostitutes based on the location in which the services are sold, and describes the characteristics of clients. The complex issues of legislating morality are weighed against the harms caused by street prostitution. Arguments for and against decriminalizing or legalizing prostitution continue.
Summary
This week, you discuss a variety of crimes: against a person, against property, white-collar, and organized crime. There is also a chapter relating to illicit drugs and prostitution. There is a great deal of interest in types of crimes and how they are committed because of interest in situational crime prevention. The theory is that, to the extent that weaknesses can be identified and corrected, perhaps the crime itself will not be committed. A long-standing problem with the existing criminal justice system is that many times the crime occurs before action is taken. Crime prevention is designed to discourage crime from occurring at all.