Publications -- Crime

Jul 15, 1997

BA #235 – The Long Arm of Federal Juvenile Crime Law Shortened

Violent crimes committed by adults are declining, primarily because state and local governments are increasing punishment for these offenses. By contrast, the number of violent crimes committed by teenagers has doubled over the last decade, and the FBI predicts another doubling in the next 10 years.

May 16, 1997

BA #229 – The Federal Government and Juvenile Crime

There is a bipartisan consensus in Washington that youth crime, particularly violent youth crime, is a real problem that threatens to grow over the next decade. This consensus makes it highly likely that President Clinton will sign some version of a new federal juvenile crime bill this year - unusual only because Congress traditionally has passed crime legislation in even-numbered (read: election) years. Congress expects to do at the federal level what many states have already done: toughen the treatment of young criminals, who have regarded the juvenile justice system as a joke for at least the last decade.

Sep 01, 1996

ST #206 – Factories Behind Bars

Despite a consensus of the American public that prison inmates should be gainfully employed, most are idle. Their idleness contrasts sharply with the circumstances of their 19th-century counterparts. This study analyzes the American experience of private employment of prisoners and concludes that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Expanding the role of the private sector in prison work would reduce crime, increase economic growth and reduce the burden of the criminal justice system on taxpayers.

Jan 01, 1996

ST #202 – Crime and Punishment in Texas: Update

Texas, which suffered from a 29 percent increase in the rate of serious crime during the 1980s, is experiencing a dramatic improvement in the 1990s.

Sep 28, 1995

BA #176 – Controlling Riots: A Sensible Role for a Well-Regulated Militia?

Since the ability to rapidly mobilize large numbers of trained law enforcement authorities is vital to stopping a riot, one solution is greater use of reserve law enforcement officers in an emergency. 

Jun 01, 1995

ST #193 – Crime and Punishment in America

Serious crime in the United States exploded during the 1960s and 1970s. It began to level off during the 1980s and has actually declined in the 1990s; however, the rate of serious crime remains three times higher than in 1960.

Feb 16, 1995

BA #153 – Me Too Crime Reform

The new Congress should decentralize decisions on crime. It can do so by repealing both the entire Clinton Crime Control Act of 1994 and the Brady Gun Control Law. Then it should repeal the federal habeas corpus procedure, subsidies for death penalty appeal centers and the legal authority for state prisoners to pursue law suits willy nilly in federal courts.

Jan 16, 1995

BA #144 – Ten Facts About Crime

Is the public's mounting fear of crime justified? For the most part, the answer is yes. There are at least 10 things to know about crime in America today.

Aug 15, 1994

BA #122 – The Crime Bill That Deserves to Stay Dead

President Clinton has blamed the defeat of the crime bill on obstructionist Republicans and the National Rifle Association, and the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives is threatening to force another vote. If they do so, the bill deserves to be defeated a second time.

Jun 22, 1994

BA #109 – The Phony War on Crime

The new crime bill is now in the hands of a congressional conference committee, which is resolving differences in the House and Senate versions. Despite some beneficial provisions, many are convinced we would be better off without any bill.