HOMICIDE TRENDS IN ATLANTA

In recent years in Atlanta, homicide has been the most common cause of death in males 20–40 years of age. To study homicide trends in this city we analyzed data for 591 resident victims of criminal homicide in two time perid. 1961–1962 and 1971–1972. Large increases occurred in the homicide rates for both black and white residents. In both races, these rate increases could be accounted for almost entirely by homicides involving firearms Homicide rates for black and whites in 1971–1972 were highest in census tracts with low indices of socioeconomic status; this association was found only for homicides in which the victim and assailant were relatives or acquaintances. There was little geographic overlap between areas with high rates of homicide in the home and high numbers of homicides in public. Using population-based rates facilitates comparisons of homicide occurrence between time periods and/or places.     

A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING

This paper outlines a conceptual scheme for systematic analysis of the criminal justice policy-planning process. The major assumptions required to apply the concept of policy-planning in the substantive area of criminal justice are examined. Specification of critical aspects of the criminal justice system/environment relationship and elaboration of the roles played by various classes of key actors in relation to the need for, demand for, production of, and utilization of policy-planning analyses are central features of the analytic scheme.