Essays and Research Papers on The Public & Crime

A 4 page discussion of mandatory drug sentencing. The author examines the statistics of drug sentencing and contends that mandatory sentencing for offenders may in fact be punishing society as much as or even more than it is punishing the criminal! The argument is presented that mandatory sentencing is not only ineffective it ...

This 4-page paper, using Davis "The City of Quartz" as a jumping-off point, suggests that reasons for urban unrest can be traced to unemployment, poor schools and other social issues. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

An 8 page examination of each of these theories. The contention is presented that criminal activity is directly affected by the degree of punishment which is doled out for a particular crime. The author speculates that harsher penalties, perhaps even televised executions, could go a long way toward reducing crime. Bibliography lists 4 ...

This 11 page paper considers how in contemporary society we see to emerging trends affecting people with mental illness. The first trend is using the criminal justice system to give the community greater protection 'dangerous' mentally ill offenders. The second trend is towards making legal processes more therapeutic. The paper discusses whether or ...

A 4 page exploration of why some individuals engage in criminal activity. Sociologist Timothy Brezina contends that there are "benefits" of crime for those who commit them. Jack Katz would agree. This paper argues that to excuse criminal activity on the basis of environmental factors is unjust. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

A 5 page overview of the problems gangs present in Baltimore and elsewhere. The author emphasizes that youths are inspire to join gangs to escape from the harsh realities of their lives. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page overview of the problems encountered by minorities that are released from incarceration. The author provides statistics on the number of individuals in incarceration verses the number that are released onto the streets. Those that are minorities often have problems finding housing and jobs and, in general, encounter considerable difficulty in ...

This 4-page paper examines the question as to whether prisoners and prisons actually reflect society at large. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 12 page overview of incest, its causes and impacts. The author defines incest, explores the underlying motivations, and assesses its long term psychological impact on children. Considerable attention is paid to the link between incestual sexual abuse, post traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. ...

This paper looks in detail at a recent Home Office report on sentencing and correctional policies within the British criminal justice system. The authors of the report have focused on the practical aspect of such policies - "what works" - but have found their meta-analysis of current research studies hampered by a lack of cohesion ...

This 3 page paper examines the idea that youth are morel likely to be victims of crime than the elderly. Statistics are relayed. The phenomenon is explained. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 7 page paper discussing the creation of a victim services unit, an entity that can take one of several forms but holds the goal of assisting victims of crime in a specific area. Suffolk County, New York; Washington, D.C.; and Denver all have very different histories in and approaches to victim services, but ...

A 5 page analysis of the facts surrounding the infamous Jack the Ripper case. The author contends that it is likely that only five victims actually fell to the Ripper and that the rest were copycat murders. A list of possible suspects is examined. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page review of several key sociological theories that affect a criminal's re-entry into society after serving out their time in the criminal justice system. Theories that are discussed include the Containment Theory, the Self-Control Theory, Rational Choice, Routine Activities, General Deterrence, Specific Deterrence, and the ecological perspectives theory. No sources are listed.

A 4 page overview of the short story by Joyce Carol Oates, a story inspired by the real-life murderer Charles Schmid, the murderer that had acquired the name of "The Pied Piper of Tucson" because of his inexplicable ability to convince young girls to do whatever it was that he wanted. The author of this paper ...

A 5 page discussion of our societal tendency to place the blame on a woman when she becomes the victim of a sex crime. This paper pulls from Joyce Carol Oates" "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" (a short story fictionalizing the real-life murders of Charles Schmid in the 1960s) and the more ...

A 3 page consideration of typical reactions to this short story in terms of where guilt is assigned. This paper reinforces the fact, once again, that the guilt lies with the criminal not with the victim. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 3 page discussion of the influence sociocultural forces have in influencing juveniles to join gangs. The author demonstrates that the sociocultural forces come full circle when the same juveniles that were once influenced to join a gang start exerting influence on others. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page discussion of the increase in school violence. The author presents the case that an increased violent content in the media, in television in particular, can be held responsible. Bibliography lists sources.

A 4 page debate as to the reasons behind the disproportionate representation of blacks in the criminal justice system. The author contends that although the criminal justice system is not racist, the racist aspects of many other components of society often result in a greater propensity for criminal activity among blacks. Bibliography lists ...

3 pages in length. Inasmuch as crime seriousness and prior record are "the most influential factors in determining sentence outcomes" (Blumstein et al, 1983), arguing to the opposite finds one on a precarious perch where legal interpretation is concerned. However, this does not preclude the inherent value of such a stance, being that ...

A 5 page consideration of the factors that motivate predatory criminals and how we can modify our own behavior to reduce our risks of becoming a victim. This paper points out that in the wild it is the weak, the slow, and the inattentive prey animals that get eaten. There is a lesson here! ...

A 9 page discussion of the ethics of crime and punishment. While some might be aghast at rendering stiff punishment for criminal activity and in favor of rehabilitation instead, this paper contends that severe punishment is in the better interest of society as a whole. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 24 page paper considers the position of a freelance worker who will be working with offenders and victims in the UK criminal justice system. The paper takes a theoretical approach looking at the theories and issues they may have to balance including why offenders commit crimes, the impact on the victims and the study ...

A 5 page review of the causative factors involved in violent crime, property crime, enterprise crime, and public order crime. The author summarizes that, in short, crime occurs because of one degree or another of profit. Until we prioritize our interventional tactics criminals will continue to exert a stranglehold on our world. Bibliography ...