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Violent Crime

Violent crime continues to be a serious problem in the United States despite reports of a decline in the overall crime rate. In 1993 1.9 million violent crimes were reported to the police, but a survey of victims finds that the actual number of violent crimes was 10.8 million. The American people basically are correct in their perceptions that not enough criminals are incarcerated, typical criminals are responsible for a large number of crimes and building more prisons is worthwhile.

Revolving-door justice is a reality:

• About one-third of all persons arrested for a violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, assault) are already on probation, parole or pretrial release.

• The vast majority of convicted criminals are not incarcerated.

• Barely one criminal goes to prison for every 100 violent victimizations.

• And most violent prisoners serve less than half their sentence behind bars before being released.

Surveys of prisoners show that most of them are violent or repeat criminals.

• More than 90 percent of state prisoners have committed one or more violent crimes or served a previous sentence to incarceration or probation.

• Even most "nonviolent" prisoners have long adult and juvenile criminal histories.

• Prisons do cut crime. Millions of violent and property crimes are averted each year by keeping criminals off the streets. Prisoners released early are responsible for tens of thousands of crimes annually.

• For every dollar it costs to keep the typical prisoner behind bars, society saves $2.80 in social costs from crimes averted.

• Violent crimes committed in a single year will cost Americans about $426 billion.

• Tripling the prison population from 1975 to 1989 may have reduced violent crime by 10 to 15 percent below what it would have been, preventing a conservatively estimated 390,000 violent crimes in 1989 alone.

Source: "The State of Violent Crime in America: First Report of the Council on Crime in America," January 1996, New Citizenship Project, 1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Suite 510, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 822-8333.

Justice Is A Revolving Door

John DiIulio, a leading crime researcher at Princeton University, contends that the statistics show that revolving-door justice still exists and is a major cause of continued high levels of crime.

• In 1992, there were about 10.3 million violent crimes, 641,000 arrests and 165,000 convictions -- 90 percent obtained by plea bargaining.

• In the end, about 100,000 convicts went to jail, where they served, on average, about half their sentences.

Yet between 1985 and 1992, when prison populations were soaring, the average maximum sentence actually declined by 15 percent -- evidence that tougher sentencing guidelines are not being enforced.

• Moreover, in 1992, the actual time served by the average violent felon was a mere 43 months.

• Murderers set free in 1992 often served less than six years behind bars.

Thus, the justice system is imprisoning, at best, about one criminal for every 100 violent crimes.

So what is the cost to society?

• In one 58-month period, prisoners who were released early in Florida because of alleged prison overcrowding were responsible for at least 26,000 crimes.

• A study of 1,411 convicted killers in Virginia found that an astonishing 33 percent were either in prison, on probation, on parole or out on bail awaiting trial when they killed.

Experts believe that the only choice is to jail those who commit violent crimes, and to treat juveniles the way we ought to be treating adults.

Source: Perspective, "A New Crime Wave," Investor's Business Daily, March 6, 1996.

Prisoners Are Violent, Repeat Offenders

More evidence refuting claims that state prisons are filled with nonviolent, first-time drug offenders comes from a study of Wisconsin's urban prison population by penal experts John DiIulio and George Mitchell found that typical prisoners are violent criminals with long records who pose a threat to public safety.

The researchers analyzed a representative sample of Department of Corrections inmate files, including information on juvenile criminal activity, to create a profile of criminal activity for prison inmates in Milwaukee County. They found that:

• Three of four inmates are in prison for a current violent crime conviction.

• Most inmates in prison for a current non-violent crime had previously committed a violent crime.

• About 91 percent of inmates had a current or prior adult or juvenile conviction for a violent crime.

The study found that drug and property offenders showed a pattern of recidivism, probation or parole violations and prior violent crime.

• None of the inmates was in prison solely for possession of an illegal drug.

• Just 7 percent were in prison for drug trafficking offenses.

• Only 17 percent were in prison for property crimes (burglary, theft, forgery and arson) or other crimes such as prison escape and illegal firearms possession.

• Nine of 10 inmates had a prior adult or juvenile conviction.

• About 41 percent committed their most recent crime while on probation or parole and 77 percent had violated terms of a prior probation or parole.

The majority of inmates had a documented juvenile crime record, and among first offenders, 87.5 percent were imprisoned for a violent crime.

The median sentence for male inmates in the sample was 10 years, and historical data suggests they will serve about half their sentences before being paroled. Which won't be long from now, since 82 percent will be eligible for at least discretionary parole -- and more than half will be eligible for mandatory parole -- by 2000.

Source: John J. DiIulio Jr. and George A. Mitchell, "Who Really Goes to Prison in Wisconsin? A Profile of Urban Inmates in Wisconsin Prisons," Wisconsin Policy Research Institute Report, Vol. 9, No. 4, April 1996, Wisconsin Public Policy Institute, 3107 North Shepard Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, (414) 963-0600.

Crime Costs

The costs of the 49 million crimes and attempted crimes against Americans each year are staggering.

A recent report from the National Institute of Justice advances some eye-popping figures.

• Crime costs Americans some $105 billion each year in medical bills and lost earnings.

• Adding pain and suffering, as well as the reduced quality of life, the total climbs to $450 billion each year -- roughly $1,800 for each man, woman and child in the country.

• Violent crime -- including drunken driving, child abuse and arson -- accounts for $426 billion of the total, with property crime accounting for the remainder.

• Compensation to crime victims from insurers is $45 billion annually.

The figures do not include the cost of running the criminal justice system or private actions taken to cut crime -- such as hiring guards or buying security systems.

• Violent crimes consume 3 percent of all U.S. medical spending and 14 percent of all injury-related medical spending.

• Violent crime causes wage losses equal to 1 percent of all American earnings.

Source: Perspective, "Crime's Cost," Investor's Business Daily, May 9, 1996.

National Statistics On Crime