Articles
This section presents analytical articles on key issues in criminology and criminal justice. Unlike case studies, which examine specific incidents and legal proceedings, these articles explore broader themes such as crime prevention, punishment, ethics, and causes of criminal behavior. The goal is to provide evidence-based insights into how crime is understood, addressed, and debated in contemporary society.
What to find below:
- Crime Prevention Information
- Crime Data over the past 10 years
- Key Terms
“It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them.”
-Cesare Beccaria
Crime Prevention
At the heart of every criminal justice system lies a desire not only to stop crime but also to prevent it before it even happens. Although stopping a crime from continuing is incredibly important, preventing it altogether can ensure the safety of society and prevent harm from a hypothetical crime. Because of this, prevention strategies have been put in place to reduce or eliminate the likelihood that an individual will commit an illegal act, and to understand the root causes that might lead someone to do wrong. To achieve true benefits from prevention strategies, law enforcement, society, and policymakers need to work together, as many know, and a handful of the most successful prevention strategies have been developed, such as social prevention, situational prevention, and law enforcement strategies.
Social prevention is a method that addresses environmental factors that have led an individual to commit a crime, and prioritizes behavioral patterns of past perpetrators by targeting the general public. Support and help for families in need, public education, domestic violence helplines, youth development, and other community initiatives are ways that could prevent crime, as studies have shown that a common factor among criminals is how they grew up, so by improving conditions for children and families, illegal acts could be avoided in the future. When supporting these individuals, you are putting investments in how one perceives the world, the company one keeps, and one’s understanding of “right” from “wrong”, all of which will reduce the likelihood that an individual will grow up to be a criminal.
Situational crime prevention aims to increase the risk of getting caught if they do commit a crime, making it less likely that they will put themselves in a position where they would most likely get caught or punished. Unlike social prevention, situational crime prevention focuses on the environment and the material to reduce crime. Examples include sturdy locks, surveillance cameras, bright lights, controlled building access, and other small yet meaningful improvements. By raising the difficulty, stakes, and obstacles, would-be offenders are more likely to be discouraged from committing the crime altogether.
Law enforcement strategies are often overlooked, yet when community policymaking occurs, trust between officers and citizens forms, and it becomes clearer to enforcement which relevant, local conflicts to identify. When having visible officers present, offenses can be reduced, but, on the contrary, having an excessive amount of officers might strain relationships.
There are several subsets of these strategies, as well as other strategies that work well, and while these three strategies have proven highly beneficial, it is also true that no single method will work equally effectively for everyone. The fact that successful prevention methods typically combine multiple approaches and involve cooperation shows that society and government must work together if we wish to effectively prevent crime. By integrating environmental design, social investment, and strategic policymaking, societies can reduce crime without relying primarily on harsh punishments.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime Data Explorer (2016-2026). Homicide crime statistics. Direct link to graph- https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend
Did you know… 67.8% of released prisoners are re-arrested within three years and 76.6% are taken into custody within five years of being released?
Key Terms
Actus Reus: The physical act of voluntarily committing an illegal crime.
Active Shooter: An individual actively engaged in attempting to kill people in a populated area (typically using firearms)
Admissible Evidence: Evidence in a case that is allowed to be presented during a trial. It must meet legal standards and be relevant in the court of law.
Appeal: A legal process where a higher court reviews the decision of the lower court to decide if legal wrongdoings occurred. If so, the case is retried in the higher Court.
Arrest: The act of taking an individual into custody, which is only legal when there is probable cause that the individual committed a crime.
“Beyond a Reasonable Doubt”: The highest standard of proof in criminal law that requires the prosecution to establish the defendant’s guilt of the crime they are accused of, with sufficient evidence to ensure that the defendant is not being sentenced for a crime they did not commit.
Burden of Proof: The legal obligation to provide allegations in court.
Chain of Custody: The documentation that tracks the handling of evidence, it ensures the evidence has not been altered or contaminated. This is important to the court, as it helps determine the authenticity and accuracy of the evidence.
Circumstantial Evidence: Indirect evidence presented to the law that implies a fact but does not directly prove it.
Confession: A statement in which a suspect admits responsibility for a crime they are accused of committing.
Criminal Responsibility: Legal accountability of an individual’s actions (Understand what is illegal and why it is illegal).
Custodial Interrogation: The act of law enforcement questioning a person they have taken into custody.
Direct Evidence: Evidence that directly establishes a fact in court.
DNA Evidence: Genetic material that is used to identify and link individuals to crime scenes. Very rarely is it wrong, and it contains a high degree of accuracy.
Domestic Homicide: Murder of an intimate partner or family member (Either former or current relationships).
Due Process: The constitutional guarantee that the government will not deprive an individual of rights in a matter of law. Requirements where law enforcement must respect the legal rights of all citizens of the United States.
Diminished Capacity: The legal concept where the Defendant tells the court that they were unable to form criminal consent to their illegal act due to their mental/ cognitive state.
Eyewitness Testimony: An individual’s statement in which they provide their first-hand account of an observation. This is direct evidence, and is typically one of the strongest pieces of evidence to be given. On the contrary, it is also possible to be distorted or false.
Fifth Amendment: A Central part of the U.S. Constitution that protects individuals from self-incrimination, biased/unfair sentencing, and ensures that due process will be guaranteed.
Fingerprint Evidence: A subset of DNA evidence where the unique pattern from fingertips is used to identify the individual who has the fingerprint.
First-Degree Murder: An intentional and planned killing, considered the most serious and callous form of homicide.
Forensic Evidence: Scientific evidence analyzed and collected during a criminal investigation.
Homicide: The killing of one person by another individual.
Indictment: A formal charge or accusation issued to indicate that enough evidence is provided to hold a trial.
Incrimination- The act or information that suggests a person’s illegal involvement in a crime.
Insanity Defense: A legal argument where the defendant was not criminally responsible for his actions due to severe mental illness that misguided his judgment.
Intent: The decision to engage in criminal conduct on purpose.
Mass Violence: The intentional, criminal act of causing harm to a large number of people.
Mens Rea: The mental intent and approval required to commit a crime, knowing the consequences of the crime and committing it in spite of it being illegal.
Miranda Warning: The legal requirement where an officer must alert the individual that they are taking into custody of their constitutional rights before interrogation.
Plea Bargain: The strategy where the defendant pleads guilty in order to be sentenced with a lesser punishment and/or have other criminal actions excused.
Premediation: The deliberate planning prior to the crime (element of first-degree murder).
Probabale Cause: A valid and proven ground for believing that an individual committed crime, needed for a search warrant or arrest.
Profiling: The analysis of an individual’s psychological development that helps to identify criminal suspects.
Public Policy: Government rulings that address large societal issues.
Recidivism: The likelihood of an offender reoffending after their sentencing.
Rehabilitation: Efforts prioritizing reformability in the hopes of benefiting the criminal enough to where they are able to join society with decreased recidivism.
Risk Factors: Behavior, environmental exposure, and inborn traits that increase the chances of criminal behavior.
Search Warrant: A court order that authorizes law enforcement to search through a specific space.
Second-Degree Murder: An intentional killing of an individual where the criminal did not plan to engage in criminal activity beforehand.
Seriel Offender: A criminal who commits multiple crimes resembling each other over a period of time.
Sentencing: The punishment that a defendant receives after their court trial.
Sixth Amendment: The constitutional right of the defendant to have a fair trial, legal counsel, and an impartial jury.
Trial: The formal and legal assessment judicial proceeding in which evidence, a jury, and legal counsel are present to determine a fair and accurate ruling of “guilty” or “innocent” for the defendant.
Verdict: The formal and legal ruling of the judge or jury after a trial regarding the defendant’s guilt.