Expressive Crimes
offenses committed not for profit or gain but to vent rage, anger, or frustration
Instrumental Crimes
offenses designed to improve the financial or social position of the criminal
Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
Large database, compiled by the FBI, of crimes reported and arrests made each year throughout the United States. (Offender data) (Part 1 and 2 crimes)
Felonies
A serious criminal offense punishable by a prison sentence of more than one year
Misdemeanor
A minor crime that is usually punished by a fine or jail sentence of less than one year
Crimes
an act, deemed socially harmful or dangerous, that is specifically defined, prohibited, and punished under criminal the law
Criminology
The scientific study of the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior.
Common Law
Early English law, developed by judges, which became the standardized law of the land in England and eventually formed the basis of the criminal law in the United States.
Statutory Law
The body of law enacted by legislative bodies (as opposed to constitutional law, administrative law, or case law).
Contemporary Criminal Law
based on seriousness
Code of Hammurabi
eye for an eye
Mosaic Code
10 commandments
Torts
civil wrongs
Criminal Justice Assembly Line
commit crime, initial contact, arrest, trial, post release
Robbery
the unlawful taking of property from a person's immediate possession by force or intimidation
Theft
Taking property permanently or temporarily, without the owner's permission
Burglary
entering a building unlawfully with intent to commit a felony or to steal valuable property
Assault
a threat to harm a person, resulting in the person feeling fearful that he or she will be harmed
Battery
Physical threat
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
Program that requires local police agencies to provide a brief account of each incident and arrest within 22 crime patterns, including incident, victim, and offender information. (just arrests, not clearance rates) (Takes down most violent crime)
Part 1 Crimes (UCR)
Violent Crimes
Part 2 Crimes (UCR)
Nonviolent Crimes
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
The ongoing victimization study conducted jointly by the Justice Department and the U.S. Census Bureau that surveys victims about their experiences with law violation. (Lots of unreported crimes)