Changes in crime and punishment in england and America in the 1980s

Abstract

This paper is the first to link up national-level data on crime and criminal justice in England and in America to estimate the numbers flowing through the system at each stage, from offending to imprisonment. It compares crime and criminal justice in England and in America, and documents changes between 1981 and 1986–1987. Property crimes increased markedly during this short period in England, but violent crimes did not increase significantly. In America, both property and violent crimes decreased markedly. The probability of an offender being convicted and sentenced to custody in England decreased markedly for property crimes and increased slightly for violent crimes, whereas in America this probability increased greatly for both types of crime. We suggest that one possible cause of the increase in property crimes in England during this period was the decreased risk of conviction and custody for property offenders. We further suggest that violent crime rates may not have increased markedly in England because of the increased risk of conviction and custody for violent offenders. Similarly, one possible cause of the decrease in crimes in America during this period was the greatly increased risk of conviction and custody.

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