URBAN-CRIME - ISSUES AND POLICIES

Research suggests that some social and criminal justice policies can a ffect the crime rate. This article considers the major criminal justic e and social policy issues related to urban crime, such as drugs, dome stic violence, property values, and the underground economy. Family di sruption, drugs, limited economic opportunities, and unoccupied and un supervised youth are all found to be associated with urban crime. The article concludes that major reductions in crime are likely to result only from increased economic and social opportunities for families and youth, particularly for young males. Intensive programs directed at f amilies and at-risk youth are more likely to lower crime than are prog rams directed at people already heavily involved in illegal activities . It costs less to keep young people in education and training program s than to imprison them, and such programs are more likely to produce productive and well-adjusted adults.