Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

• Crime rates are higher in the black population than in the white population • Large cities have higher crime rates than smaller communities • Urban areas have more reported crime than rural areas Many crimes remain unreported because victims may have a fear of retribution or a low expectation of police ability. A victim may refrain from reporting a crime if a family member is involved in that crime. The more serious a crime, however, the more likely it is to be reported. Sociological factors influence crime. For example, during WW2, crime rates were lower in the US because many men were at war. During the population explosion after WW2, crime increased a dramatic 200%. The factors commonly pointed to for the increase in crime are: higher youth population, television violence, poverty, and drug use. Criminal Justice System Identifying criminals is a several stage process. At each stage, the alleged criminal has only a chance of moving on to the next stage. That chance greatly increasing with the severity of the crime and the social status of the offender. Figure 6: Criminal Justice System Process The criminal justice system involves the police, courts, and state and national correctional systems. • The police are supposed to control crime. They are under almost constant public scrutiny. They face danger daily, and this often affects their attitudes. o Officers are taught how and when to apply different types of force:  Legal force: To take someone into custody.  Normal force: Specific to circumstances.  Excessive force: Completely unnecessary and brutal. • The highly complex court system is supposed to determine guilt or innocence of the accused, as well as any punishment. o Plea bargaining: Negotiating guilty pleas to lesser crimes.  This occurs more frequently in an effort to reduce the costs associatedwith jury trials. o Corrections: The sanctions sentenced by the judge. These include imprisonment, probation, and parole. Crime detected Crime reported Arrest made Accused prosecuted Accused convicted Convict imprisoned

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