Crime Control in America by John Worrall - Essay Example

?[Your full full September 27, Summaries Chapter The first chapter of the book introduces the main concept of the whole book by discussing some of the basic terms around which the theme of the book revolves. For example, it discusses the basic meaning of crime, the ways to control crimes, and the effectiveness of crime control. Apart from this, the chapter also includes a discussion on some key issues that are deeply associated with social science research. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about what crime actually is and what ways can be used to reduce crimes. My expectations were fulfilled when I read the chapter thoroughly as all core issues about crime and crime control were there in the chapter in detail. After reading the chapter, I learned the types of crimes occurring in the United States of America, as well as the some of the basic laws and official policies regarding crime control. The thing I liked the most in the chapter were the tables of statistics showing the types of crimes and number of victimizations for year some particular years. I also liked the tables showing changes in the rate of crimes from one year to another. However, I would have liked this chapter to provide a detailed knowledge of the ways to control the rate of crimes. Chapter 2: The second chapter of the book builds upon the knowledge shared in the first chapter of the book. This chapter includes a discussion on various perspectives of crime control and crime control strategies. These perspectives provide a clear knowledge of the significance of crime control for establishing peace. The chapter also includes a detailed discussion on the causes and consequences of crimes, as well as draws attention towards the limitations of retribution incapacitation and incapacitation of retribution. The chapter also includes a discussion on the basic goals and objectives of crime control and crime control strategies, such as, retribution, rehabilitation, incapacitation and deterrence. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about the perspectives of critics and supporters about different types of sentencing or crime control strategies. I did not have an idea that the chapter would also include a discussion about the causes and consequences of crimes. When I read the chapter thoroughly, my expectations were partially fulfilled as some of the issues that I had in my mind were discussed, such as, perspectives of crimes and crime control strategies, whereas the chapter did not highlight the perspectives of critics and supporters regarding appropriateness of sentencing models. After reading the chapter, I learned about the causes and consequences of crimes, as well as about the limitations of adopting different crime control strategies, such as, rehabilitation, incapacitation, and deterrence. The thing I liked in the chapter were the way causes of crimes in a society and their impact on the minds of people and overall society were described. However, I would have liked this chapter to highlight different types of sentencing models and the views of critics on them from different angles. Chapter 3: The third chapter of the book covers the theory of traditional policing and underlying concepts. It discussed whether the strategy of hiring more cops plays a significant role in reducing the number of crimes or not. The chapter also includes a discussion on different approaches that can be used to increase the effectiveness of police, such as, freeing up the resources, continuing with random or reactive policing, private security mechanisms, private policing, use of detectives, and other traditional approaches to policing. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about the theory of traditional policing, as well as about the effectiveness of traditional policing in controlling the crime rate in the United States of America. I also thought that the chapter would bring into light the limitations that traditional policing might be facing in reducing the rate of crimes. I did not have an idea that the chapter would also include a comparison of private versus public policing. When I read the chapter thoroughly, my expectations were fulfilled as all of the concepts that were in my mind were thoroughly explained in the chapter. However, there was not much detail on the limitations of traditional policing. After reading the chapter, I improved my concept and knowledge about traditional policing, as well as got an overview of the problems with random and reactive policing. I also learned about different private policing methods along with accompanying controversies. The thing I liked the most in the chapter was the discussion on whether hiring a large number of cops play a significant role in reducing crimes or this is just a waste of resources. Summing it up, this chapter is just complete from my perspective and includes everything that I liked to learn. Chapter 4: The fourth chapter of the book includes a discussion on some imaginative approaches to effective policing and crime control. Some of the main areas this chapter covers include proactive arrests for some particular types of offenses and high risk criminals, direct patrolling of violence hop spots and drug hot spots, broken window law enforcement approach for controlling crimes, use of multijurisdictional task forces, and use of technology and less mortal weapons for decreasing the rate of crimes. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about effectiveness of directed patrolling, proactive policing, and latest technology in controlling and reducing the rate of crimes. I did not have an idea that the chapter would also contain information about quality-of-life policing, multijurisdictional drug task forces, and militarization. As far as my expectations are concerned, I would say that they were fulfilled as all core issues about direct patrolling and proactive policing were discussed in the chapter in detail. After reading the chapter, I learned about proactive arrests, directed patrolling of hot spots, police-military connection, and the use of crime detection devices and less-lethal weapons in controlling crimes and criminals. The thing I liked in the chapter was the way less mortal weapons and latest technology can be used to control the activities of criminals. I also improved my concepts of quality-of-life policing and broken windows theory. However, I would have liked this chapter to provide some more knowledge on crime detection devices in connection with forensics as it has become a need of today to detect crimes and criminals using latest technologies. Chapter 5: The fifth chapter of the book builds upon the theme of the previous chapter and discusses the concept of community involvement in policing. The chapter includes a comprehensive discussion on the definition of community policing, the history of community policing, and structural and attitudinal changes to community policing. Moreover, the chapter also discusses the effectiveness of community policing and related issues, such as, role of community policing in improving the image of police, effectiveness of introducing neighborhood watch programs and police-sponsored websites, and the benefits of hosting community meetings. Apart from this, the chapter also discusses the concept of third party policing by giving some examples and mentioning the way this form of policing works. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about the theory of community policing and all related concepts, such as, the role of community policing in controlling crimes and improving the image of police. However, I did not have an idea that the chapter would also include some material on third party policing. After reading the chapter thoroughly, my expectations were fulfilled as all of the concepts that were in my mind were thoroughly explained in the chapter. I learned a lot from this chapter. For example, I learned through history the reasons behind implementation of community policing. The thing I liked the most in the chapter was the discussion on the effectiveness of community involvement in policing. I also liked learned and liked the Seattle and Hartford approach towards community policing. However, I would like this chapter to have some more details on third party policing and related issues. Chapter 6: The sixth chapter of the book provides an understanding of different prosecutorial approaches towards solving the issue of increased crime rate. The chapter includes a discussion on the effectiveness of some of the main prosecutorial approaches to crime control. The main aspect and unique feature of this chapter is that it includes relatively different type of discussion on prosecutorial approaches that no other author has covered yet. Some of the main issues discussed in this chapter include shift towards strategic prosecution, police-prosecutor partnerships, policies of no-drop prosecution, and community prosecution, deferred sentencing, and deferred prosecution. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about the role of prosecutors in controlling the rate of crimes in the United States. However, the chapter contains a lot more than just the role of prosecutors. Unlike my expectations, the chapter provides a very in-depth knowledge about prosecution by dividing the concept into two main categories; the harder side and the softer side of prosecution. As far as my expectations are concerned, I would say that the chapter went far beyond my expectations by including much more material than I thought. From this chapter, I learned about no-drop prosecution policies, Federal-State partnerships, and deferred prosecution and sentencing, and plea-bargaining. The thing I liked in the chapter was the way both sides of prosecution were covered. I also liked the examples provided to explain each concept. The views of critics and supporters about plea-bargaining also helped me increase my knowledge. Summing it up, I would say that this chapter has complete details in all aspects and fulfils the expectations of the learners. Chapter 7: The seventh chapter of the book mainly covers different ways or law-based approaches to crime control. Some of the main approaches discussed in the chapter include crime control through legislative bans, sex offender laws, laws for gun control, and laws for reducing terrorism and white-collar crimes. The chapter includes a comprehensive discussion on each of the above-mentioned issues and approaches under their respective sections. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details on crime control through different legislations. I had an idea that the chapter would cover a variety of laws made by the government to control different types of crimes. However, I did not know that the chapter would also have some material on anti-terrorism laws. After reading the chapter thoroughly, my expectations were fulfilled as the chapter included much more material than I thought of. From this chapter, I not only learned the legislative laws regarding guns and drug control but also got a huge amount of knowledge about the legislations done for controlling or preventing contemporary and sexual crimes. The thing I liked the most in the chapter were the tables of statistics reporting injuries caused due to drug use and estimated prevalence of drug use. I also liked the way the author discussed anti-terrorism laws and recent development in this regard. However, I would have liked to learn more about the laws for controlling terrorism, as well as the legislations for controlling domestic and violent crimes. Chapter 8: The eighth chapter of the book provides an understanding of the ways to control and reduce crimes in courts. The chapter includes a discussion on the effectiveness of different crime control approaches some of which include shaming to restorative justice, pretrial incapacitation, problem-solving courts, and diversion. The chapter mainly provides an insight into court-based measures to reduce crimes. Crime control is definitely one of the main issues being faced by the world. The need to control and reduce crimes finds a very strong base considering the impact of crimes on individuals and society. In this regard, the role of criminal justice system is very influential and critical. Courts can play a valuable role by introducing and implementing some effective measures aimed towards controlling all possible type of crime. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details on the role of courts in controlling crimes, as well as their role in providing justice to citizens. However, the chapter contains a lot more than just the role of courts in crime control. Unlike my expectations, the chapter provides a very in-depth knowledge about incapacitation, detention, shaming, and restorative justice. As far as my expectations are concerned, the chapter went beyond my expectations in content and details. From this chapter, I learned about preventive detention, examples of shaming penalties, examples of restorative justice, and the role of different types of courts in controlling crimes. The thing I liked in the chapter was the way examples were used to explain different concepts. Summing it up, I would say that this chapter is complete with respect to details and fulfils the expectations of the learners. However, I would have liked to learn more on the role of courts in providing quick justice to people. Chapter 9: The ninth chapter of the book builds on the base developed in the previous chapter of the book and covers some sentencing and penalty approaches towards controlling crimes. Some of the main approaches discussed in the chapter include capital punishment, mandatory punishment, civil commitment, fines, sentencing enhancements, and many other forms of sentencing and punishing the criminals. The chapter also includes the perspectives of critics and supporters regarding different types of sentencing approaches, such as, capital punishment and death sentencing. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details on crime control through different forms of sentencing. I had an idea that the chapter would cover the impact of sentence length on crimes. However, I did not know that the chapter would also cover the topic like chemical castration for sex crime control. From this chapter, I not only learned the types of prison sentences and the impact of sentencing on crimes but also learned about mandatory sentences for crimes like use of illegal drugs and drunk driving. The thing I liked the most in the chapter was the structure that made it easy for me to grasp knowledge. For example, non-prison sentences were described first under a separate heading and then the author moved to prison sentences and related subcategories. I also liked the material included about adherence to capital punishment, which I also do not consider humane. However, I would have liked to learn more about mandatory sentencing in order to be able to draw a line between the claims of supporters and critics. Chapter 10: The tenth chapter of the book is also a continuation of the previous two chapters as it describes court-based decisions to control crimes through probation, parole, and intermediary sanctions. This chapter includes a discussion on some of the main judicial approaches towards providing relief to the criminals involved in relatively less violent crimes. The chapter also discusses whether the rate of recidivism comes down due to probation and parole or not. The chapter also includes some examples of the above-mentioned approaches to clarify the concept behind giving such reliefs. Intensive supervision probation, shock probation, day reporting centers, electronic monitoring, and home confinement are such approaches that can play a valuable role in reducing the burden on prisons’ capacity, as well as in monitoring behaviors of criminals in society. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about the role of probation and parole in reducing burden from prisons. I also thought of it to be emphasizing on parole and probation issues. When I read the chapter thoroughly, I learned that probation and parole are not much effective in reducing the rate of crimes because a large percentage of criminals come back to prisons again. I also learned that intermediate sanctions come between traditional probation and prison. The thing I liked the most in the chapter was the discussion on whether intermediate sanctions are more effective than probation and parole or they also require some improvements. Summing it up, this chapter is just complete from my point of view and includes everything that I aimed to learn. Chapter 11: The eleventh chapter of the book provides an understanding of the effectiveness of some of the main approaches towards bringing criminals back to normal life. Such approaches include treatment, rehabilitation, and job training. The purpose of these approaches is to change the behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes of criminals in order to make them live their lives as normal citizens. Another purpose is to transfer such skills to the criminals through training that can help them get jobs after release from prisons. The main concept behind this chapter is to provide knowledge regarding effectiveness of rehabilitation, drug treatment, education, and job training in changing the mindset and lives of criminals. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details on different approaches used by correctional facilities to make criminals change their mindsets and behaviors. I also thought that the chapter would contain information on the ways criminals can learn skills to earn their livings in a respectful manner rather than doing crimes again upon release. From this chapter, I not only learned the role of rehabilitation in anger management and improved lifestyle but also learned the correctional facilities use job training as a way to transfer necessary skills to prisoners so that they can become able to do some job upon release from prison. The thing I liked in the chapter is to know that rehabilitation and treatment can be used effectively to improve social behaviors and mental health of prisoners. I think every correctional facility should introduce such programs for prisoners in order to help them come back to normal life. However, I would have liked to learn about the use of behavioral and physical therapies in changing the mindset and thoughts of prisoners. Chapter 12: The twelfth chapter of the book includes a discussion on different individual-level crime control strategies, such as, displaying risk-avoiding behaviors, implementing measures for self-defense, and showing risk management behaviors. The chapter also provides an understanding of the effectiveness of family-based and household approaches towards crime control. This section of the chapter covers the role of parents and families in building the mindset of youth and children in such a way that they do not show criminal behaviors in any stage of life. Parent training and education, multi-systematic therapy, financial assistance, and family preservation therapy are some of the factors that can play a valuable role in controlling crimes at the level of households and families. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about the role of individuals and families in controlling crimes. I also thought of it to be emphasizing on the importance of personal intent towards reducing the occurrence of crimes through resistance and self-defense. When I read the chapter thoroughly, I learned that it is the role of individuals to show risk avoidance and risk management behaviors to reduce the possibility of crimes. I also learned that parent training and education is very important because it establishes the base for future behaviors of children. The thing I liked the most in the chapter was the discussion on the ways households and families can influence youth victimization. I also liked the statistics showing the estimated percentage of injuries or deaths using self-protective measures. Summing it up, this chapter is complete in details and content and includes everything that I aimed to learn. Chapter 13: The thirteenth chapter of the book is the continuation of approaches towards controlling crimes outside the criminal justice system. Slightly varying from the previous chapter, this chapter focuses on the role of community and schools in reducing the rate of crimes. Community and schools can definitely play a critical role in defining the moral, social, and behavioral directions of youth and children. For example, youth mentoring, resident mobilization programs, and financial assistance to poor communities are some of the approaches that can be very helpful in meeting the goal of controlling and reducing crimes. Similarly, the role of schools in this issue is very critical. Schools are the institutes where children come to get knowledge and learn different behaviors that they show in their practical lives. Therefore, schools can adopt a variety of approaches to guide children and keep their focus away from criminal activities. Some of the approaches may include gang resistance education, criminal mindset resistance education, drug resistance education, and behavioral modification through moral teachings. I thought that this chapter would contain details on the role of community and school education in building individual behaviors. However, the content of the chapter was much more than my expectations. From this chapter, I not only learned the social ecology of crimes and the role of financial assistance to communities in reducing crime rate but also learned the role of constructive school environment and instructional interventions in building positive behaviors. The thing I liked in the chapter was the way the author used tables and statistics to provide stats-based information regarding property and personal victimization using different factors. However, I would have liked to learn more about the role of community in shifting the focus of youth away from joining gangs or doing crimes. Chapter 14: The fourteenth chapter of the book includes a discussion on the efforts to control and reduce crimes through manipulation of the environment. Some of the main ways using which environmental manipulation can be done to reduce opportunities for criminals include surveillance, access control, motivational reinforcement, and activity support. Altering the environment, such as, residential areas, transportation, and public areas is one of the widely accepted and implemented measures towards crime control. Criminals face difficulties in committing crimes in places the location, structure, and access do not support them. Therefore, manipulating the environment can definitely play an effective role in making crimes difficult for criminals, as well as in reducing crime opportunities for them. I thought that this chapter would be about the role of external environment, such as, locations and structures in reducing opportunities for criminals. From this chapter, I learned the ways through which manipulation of the environment takes place, as well as the effectiveness of manipulation in controlling crimes. I learned that every single area, such as, banks, schools, parks, and airports needs changes in order to reduce opportunities for criminals. The thing I liked the most in the chapter was to learn the crime pattern theory because it helped me learn the ways criminals think and behave. I also liked learning the broken windows theory, which states that low-level crimes should be dealt first in order to reduce serious crimes. However, I would have liked to learn more about the role of motivational reinforcement and surveillance in environmental manipulation. Chapter 15: The fifteenth chapter of the book provides an understanding of the ways to control the juvenile crime problem. The chapter also includes a comprehensive discussion on the effectiveness of juvenile crime control approaches, such as, prevention-oriented and control-oriented approaches. Some other issues covered in this chapter of the book include differences between juvenile and adult justice systems, reforms in the juvenile justice system, importance of preventing juvenile crimes through community and school education, ways to control and reduce juvenile crimes, and juvenile criminals’ sentencing and probation issues. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about some key strategies that can be use to control juvenile crimes. Read the chapter thoroughly, I learned that juvenile crime is not a minor issue, rather it works as the base for more serious crimes that juveniles do when they grow up. I also learned that juvenile justice system is different from adult justice system in procedural, legislative, and probation issues. The thing I liked the most in the chapter was the discussion on the ways to control juvenile crimes. I also liked the tables, graphs, and statistics showing differences in the percentage of crimes committed by juveniles from one year to another. Summing it up, this chapter is complete in details and content and includes everything that I wanted to learn about juvenile crime control. Works Cited Worrall, John. Crime Control in America: What Works?. 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2007. Read More