http://www.heritage.org/static/rss/crime.xmlCrime - The Heritage Foundationen-US© Copyright 2012info@heritage.orgRSS Generator {26DBC233-2B22-4412-A40F-DD66984FB3A1}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2012/03/the-violence-against-women-act-reauthorization-fundamentally-flawedDavid Muhlhausen, Ph.D., Christina VillegasSimply expanding the VAWA framework with extensive new provisions and programs that have been inadequately assessed is sure to facilitate waste, fraud, and abuse and will not better protect women or victims of violence generally.Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:22:00 -0400{9D0BD80E-67C7-415F-8BD6-8881CF38EF6E}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2012/03/juvenile-life-sentences-constitutionality-of-life-without-parole-for-teenage-murderersCharles Stimson, Elizabeth GarveyThere is a national consensus that LWOP sentences are appropriate for certain homicides.Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:23:00 -0400{3549C417-3B1D-4BE1-A559-A02AAB4AFB25}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2012/03/retribution-and-overcriminalizationGerard V. BradleyThe U.S. legal community would be well-served to explore the concept of retribution and the manner in which it provides an account of how punishing those convicted of criminal offenses is morally justified. Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:53:00 -0500{B624EEC8-296F-4261-BDD9-C51B236F6368}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/testimony/2011/12/principles-for-revising-the-criminal-codeEdwin Meese IIITitle 18 has grown into a massive collection of criminal laws, resulting from a series of individual – often disparate – pieces of legislation, introduced by members of Congress across the political spectrum. Some statutes reflect the popular concerns of the moment, in many cases duplicating criminal laws enacted and vigorously enforced at the state level. Others reflect the objectives of specific interests and organizations, whose views seek to lend importance to their cause by attaching criminal penalties to behavior that would not usually be viewed as crimes.Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500{352831A8-E5E8-46F2-A1F0-35C3056D70EA}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2011/09/get-out-of-jail-free-criminals-on-the-street-without-posting-bailDavid Muhlhausen, Ph.D.Byrne JAG grants are used to displace the services of private bond agents. Congress should eliminate funding for the program altogether. Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:34:00 -0400{271ACCDF-B3BB-4505-88BB-8ABEA85A6BE0}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/testimony/2011/07/drug-and-veterans-treatment-courts-budget-restraint-and-more-evaluations-of-effectiveness-neededDavid Muhlhausen, Ph.D.As a state and local policy, drug courts represent a policy alternative to help rehabilitate non-violent offenders with drug addiction problems. With out-of-control spending and surging public debt threatening our nation’s stability, increased federal funding of state and local drug courts should not be a priority. Instead of using Drug Court Discretionary Grants to subsidize the routine operations of state and local drug courts, Congress should consider reforming the program to focus entirely on reimbursing state and local drug courts that serve recently returned combat veterans. More scientifically rigorous experimental evaluation of drug courts are needed to determine their effectiveness. While under some circumstances in particular locations, drug courts may be more effective than traditional court responses, Congress should carefully review claims of effectiveness coming from advocates of increased federal spending on drug courts.Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:12:00 -0400{BBCE6518-BE2F-4BF3-AA8F-733056753820}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2011/07/get-smart-complying-with-federal-sex-offender-registration-standardsCharles Stimson, Maya NoronhaJust before Christmas 2009, 11-year-old Sarah Haley Foxwell was brutally raped and murdered by a convicted high-risk sex offender, Thomas J. Leggs. Although Leggs was classified as a high-risk offender in Delaware, because of inconsistencies in sex offender classification between states, Maryland identified Leggs as “compliant.” Congress passed the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) in 2006 to provide minimum registration and notification standards for all jurisdictions. Yet, for several years, jurisdictions have made flimsy excuses—often the product of misinformation—for not implementing SORNA. The time for excuses is past. Not only are the reasons for delaying implementation of SORNA invalid, but the dangers of allowing this nation’s sex offender laws to remain so inconsistent are extraordinary.Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:25:00 -0400{DB267048-DEC4-4396-8705-516F87EE6AC5}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2011/06/changing-todays-law-enforcement-culture-to-face-21st-century-threatsMatt Mayer, Scott EricksonMany aspects of the terror threat—from communication between terrorist groups to recruitment of new members—has been changing, largely due to ever-developing Internet technology and new possibilities in cyberspace. One new trend is the lone-wolf terrorist—such as Army Major Nidal Hassan, who massacred his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood. New developments in the terror threat—and the terror threat as a whole—require a cultural shift of entrenched attitudes and approaches in law enforcement agencies across the country. Robust partnerships between the federal government and states and localities are also a crucial part of fighting 21st-century crime and terrorism. Homeland security and law enforcement experts Matt Mayer and Scott Erickson explain why a paradigm shift is needed—and how to achieve it.Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:00:00 -0400{C3D59D54-3D60-4D98-B5CD-E22573B113FB}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2010/12/wikileaks-and-julian-assange-time-to-update-us-espionage-lawsPaul Rosenzweig, Charles StimsonWikiLeaks may well provide the impetus for a welcome updating of America’s outdated laws relating to the disclosure of classified materials.Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:02:00 -0500{D3AD02CB-0354-4E58-81E7-2DCD5D28B8B7}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/testimony/testimony-before-the-subcommittee-on-crime-and-drugs-of-the-committee-on-the-judiciaryBrian WalshAs Harvard law professor Herbert Wechsler reminded us half a century ago, criminal punishment is the greatest power that government routinely uses against its own citizens. Criminal justice thus is too important to allow it to fall subject to partisan political interests. Rather, it should be governed and, whenever necessary, reformed according to sound principles that are widely acknowledged and understood by the American people. Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:49:00 -0500{F001B527-4A1F-4D0D-922C-7DD2CF396C27}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/testimony/the-matthew-shepard-hate-crimes-prevention-act-of-2009Brian WalshCriminal justice reform is a central focus of my research and reform work at the Heritage Foundation. Over the past three years, I have worked with hundreds of individuals and scores of organizations across the political spectrum to build consensus for principled, non-partisan criminal justice reform. My colleagues, allies, and I have gathered substantial evidence that the criminal justice system is in great need of principled reform, particularly at the federal level, and that this reform should not be driven by partisan politics. Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500{D1F55AD0-17DE-4509-969A-A57F5DA2919B}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/testimony/crime-against-the-homeless-tragic-but-a-problem-not-requiring-federal-actionDavid Muhlhausen, Ph.D.Policymakers should be cautious in accepting the validity statistics generated by homeless advocates. The determination of whether a social problem requires governmental action often hinges on measuring the social problem in question. Properly understanding a social problem requires accurately assessing its conditions and prevalence. For this reason, trustworthy statistics based on sound analysis are central to well-reasoned public policymaking. Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:01:00 -0400{7050F26B-2FE5-4D19-93D6-85826039BAA7}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/testimony/the-second-chance-act-budget-restraint-and-more-evaluations-of-effectiveness-neededDavid Muhlhausen, Ph.D.Congress’s desire to weigh in on the recidivism rates of former prisoners is easy to understand. In 2008 alone, over 735,454 state and federal prisoners were released back into society. However, only 52,348 (7.1 percent) of these former prisoners were released from federal prisons, while the other 683,106 (92.9 percent) were released from state prisons. Wed, 29 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0400{0C697E85-60FA-43DF-9DEE-B76C4E2668BD}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2010/09/legalizing-marijuana-why-citizens-should-just-say-noCharles StimsonThis November, California voters will consider a ballot initiative, the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010. Scientific research is clear that marijuana is addictive and that its use significantly impairs bodily and mental functions. Even where decriminalized, marijuana trafficking remains a source of violence, crime, and social disintegration. Furthermore, studies have shown that legalized marijuana will provide nowhere near the economic windfall proclaimed by some proponents. The RCTCA addresses either the practical problems of implementation nor the fact that federal law prohibits marijuana production, distribution, and possession. There is strong evidence to suggest that legalizing marijuana would serve little purpose other than to worsen the state’s drug problems—addiction, violence, disorder, and death. While long on rhetoric, the legalization movement, by contrast, is short on facts.Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:20:00 -0400{799C4D60-007D-4DEC-8E8E-AEC8C4B3238A}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/multimedia/video/2010/08/stimson-fox-8-3-10Charles StimsonCully Stimson comments on differing punishments for possession of crack and cocaine.Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:00:00 -0400{93087F62-DAF4-4B3F-9EC7-10AFA9882534}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/testimony/second-chance-act-how-effective-are-prisoner-reentry-programsDavid Muhlhausen, Ph.D.More prisoners returning to society means more crime;Successful offender reentry is a multifaceted process;Recommendations for improving the Second Chance Act; and Scientifically rigorous evidence of the effectiveness of prison reentry programs is lacking.Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:52:00 -0400{5CCE1F7E-F63C-486A-A472-0F41FD75945F}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2010/06/the-criminal-intent-report-congress-must-justify-new-criminalizationBrian WalshThe political pressure to criminalize innocent conduct has proved difficult for most Members of Congress, irrespective of party affiliation, to resist. Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:25:00 -0400{7024F2D1-1115-418C-893E-828C2C782AD7}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/commentary/2010/05/empathy-for-mass-murderersDeborah O'MalleyToday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will likely vote on whether to promote District Judge Robert Chatigny to a life-tenured seat on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Any citizen who expects judges to bring the most heinous criminals to justice should be seriously concerned about this nomination. Thu, 27 May 2010 01:00:00 -0400{FBAD96F2-3359-4BBF-8C3E-584A4A00A04D}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/commentary/2010/05/too-many-laws-turn-innocents-into-criminalsEdwin Meese IIIWed, 26 May 2010 01:00:00 -0400{394F7DF8-AAEB-4E33-882D-D52E69B9B5A7}http://www.heritage.org/sitecore/content/home/research/reports/2010/05/the-criminal-intent-report-congress-is-eroding-the-mens-rea-requirement-in-federal-criminal-lawBrian WalshRecent Congresses have crafted scores of new federal criminal laws that lack adequate guilty-mind requirements.Fri, 14 May 2010 16:47:00 -0400