Management services and the efficient use of resources—report on a workshop

The Politics of the Urban Crisis, Andrew Sills, Gillian Taylor and Peter Golding, Hutchinson, 1988, pp. 180, £12.95 (paperback).

Providing Public Services that Serve the Public, Joyce Epstein et al. (eds), Anglo‐German Foundation, 17 Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2LP, 1989, pp. 204, £7.50 (paperback).

Human Resource Management in Local Government, Alan Fowler, Longman, 1988, pp. 122, £7.95.

Popular Attitudes to State Welfare Services: A Growing Demand for Alternatives?, P. Saunders and C. Harris, Social Affairs Unit, 9 Chesterfield St., London W1, 1989, pp. 36, £3.00.

Channel Tunnel: Vicious Circle ‐ The Impact of the Channel Tunnel on the North of England, Kerry Hamilton and Abigail Gregory, available from CLES (Centre for Local Economic Strategies) Alberton House, St Mary's Parsonage, Manchester M3 2WJ, pp. 111, £10.00.

Millwall in the Community, Chris Lightbown and Chris Schwarz, Millwall FC, 1988, pp. 49, £5.50

Housing and Social Change in Europe and the USA, Michael Ball, Michael Harloe and Maartje Martens, Routledge, 1988, pp. 222, £30 (hardback).

Privatization in Less Developed Countries, P. Cook and C. Kirkpatrick (eds), Wheatsheaf Books, Sussex, 1988, pp. xix + 315, £35.00 (hardback), £9.95 (paperback).

Regional Structural Change and Industrial Policy in International Perspective: United States, Great Britain, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Joachim Jens Hesse (ed.), Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, Baden‐Baden, 1988, pp. 596, 187 DM.

British Coal Enterprise ‐ A first assessment, Glyn Owen, Special Report No. 3, Coalfield Communities Campaign (Enterprise Centre, 1 Pontefract Road, Barnsley S71 1AJ), 1988, pp. 28, £10.00.

Electricity, Linked Industries and Privatisation, Brian Gladstone and Damien Dewhirst, Special Report No. 4, Coalfield Communities Campaign, 1988, pp. 56, £10.00.     

Race,Plea, and Charge Reduction: An Assessment of Racial Disparities in the Plea Process

With the growing recognition of the salience of prosecutorial discretion, attention to biases in the earlier phases of case processing is increasing. Still, few studies have considered the influence of defendant race and race/sex within the plea process. The present study uses a sample of felony cases to assess the influence of race and race/sex on the mode of disposition, similarities and differences in the factors that predict the likelihood of a plea across race, and potential racial disparities in the plea value received pertaining to a charge reduction. The findings suggest that blacks, and black males in particular, are less likely to plea, and are expected to receive a lower value for their plea. Also, the factors that predict the likelihood of a plea are substantively different across race. Conditioning effects of race and sex are found in the likelihood of a plea and probabilities of a charge reduction.     

The Courts in a Fragmented Criminal Justice System

The U.S. President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice under President Johnson in 1967 outlined a central role for courts in the criminal justice system. That role, however, has been somewhat diminished by the dominance of plea bargaining and the legislative enactment of mandatory minimum sentences that limit judges’ discretion. At the same time, judges have become more involved in specialized courts dealing in cases involving drugs and mental illness. A major topic of concern is the lower courts, which in many areas have changed little since the 1960s Commission. In those places, the traditional adversary process is not operating well, with many defendants pleading guilty unnecessarily in a system that may be designed primarily to collect fees. In violent crime cases, the imposition of capital punishment remains a controversial issue for states that is not likely to be resolved by a new national commission. The central court functions of sentencing and overseeing plea bargains are discussed elsewhere in this volume.     

Recreational Sporting Activity Vehicle‐Related Deaths

Deaths occurring in the setting of nonprofessional, vehicle‐related, recreational sporting activities occurring on land or in water during warm or winter months represent a diverse group of cases. These deaths tend to involve scenarios where the participants are purposefully attempting to enjoy themselves prior to experiencing sudden, catastrophic accidents resulting in lethal outcomes. Ultimately, many of the deaths are related to the high speed at which these vehicle‐related activities normally occur. Three broad categories of factors may play contributory roles in death: human factors, vehicle factors, and environmental factors. A series of selected cases are presented, representing examples of varying activity types, involving motorized and nonmotorized vehicles, land and water activities, and warm weather and cold weather environments. For each case, the various human, vehicle and environmental factors believed to be contributory to the accident are considered, and strategies for prevention of these and similar deaths involving recreational sporting vehicles are presented.     

The Impact of Mandatory Waiting Periods and Parental Consent Laws on the Timing of Abortion and State of Occurrence among Adolescents in Mississippi and South Carolina

Individual data on induced abortions from Mississippi and South Carolina are used to examine the effect of parental consent laws and mandatory delay statutes on two outcomes among teens: the point in pregnancy at which the abortion occurs and whether teens obtain abortions in or outside their state of residence. No effect of either law was found on the timing and location of abortion among minors relative to older teens in South Carolina. In Mississippi, however, both laws are associated with an increase in the proportion of abortions performed out of the state and the parental consent statute with later abortions. The conclusion is that Mississippi's 24‐hour as compared with South Carolina's one‐hour delay requirement, and Mississippi's two‐parent as contrasted with South Carolina's one‐parent consent statute explain the stronger behavioral response in Mississippi. © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Management and Ananlysis.     

What's So Magical about Five Percent? A Nationwide Look at Factors That Influence the Optimal Size of State Rainy Day Funds

State rainy day funds have increased in popularity as countercyclical planning devices over the past 15 years. The view is widely held that all states need a rainy day fund balance of five percent in order to guard themselves against the threat of budgetary dislocation. This article compares the actual balances in state rainy day funds in 1997 to several factors affecting budgetary volatility. Little relationship is found between rainy day fund balances and the actual level of volatility in a given state. The article finds no justification for a "one size fits all" approach; each state should design policies based on its own peculiar needs.     

A Framework for Analyzing Emergency Management with an Application to Federal Budgeting

Emergency management is a complex policy subsystem that involves an intergovernmental, multiphased effort to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. This article develops a framework for analyzing the fiscal and functional aspects of disaster policy. It uses established theories of intergovernmental relations to offer a rationale for examining the capabilities required to implement disaster policy and the behavioral incentives that drive policy formulation. In particular, the article identifies the extent to which the capabilities and political objectives characteristic of each level of government are aligned, and illustrates the interplay between incentives and competencies by reviewing the federal disaster funding process. The current rules for federal budgeting may inappropriately promote spending on disaster response and recovery, while de-emphasizing mitigation and preparedness. Various proposals for reform could establish more coherent incentives, making disaster spending more consistent with the relative functional capabilities of the various levels of government.     

The Complexity of Destruction in Darfur: Historical Processes and Regional Dynamics

This paper analyzes the complex historical and regional factors that contribute to the escalation of destruction from 2003 on in Darfur. Darfur is not an isolated case that suddenly erupted in violence. It is the most recent case in a long history of repeated violations by the Sudanese state against its citizens. From the use of proxy militias (the Janjaweed) to signing peace agreements that fragment and weaken the opposition, destruction in Darfur continues government strategies of divide and rule. At the same time, complex regional dynamics especially between Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic add to violence and instability within states and across borders. The paper emphasizes the speed with which during 2003–2005 over 2.4 million were uprooted from their homes and the ongoing vulnerability of internally displaced persons to attacks, disease and malnutrition. This restructuring of the population in Darfur is part of a strategy to control the populace and redistribute land and other resources. The multicausal origin of the conflict and its increasing complexity points to the difficulty of providing security for the people in Darfur and resolving the conflict.