The lore of criminal accusation

In crime-obsessed cultures, the rudimentary trajectories of criminalizing processes are often overlooked. Specifically, processes of accusation that arrest everyday life, and enable possible enunciations of a criminal identity, seldom attract sustained attention. In efforts at redress, this paper considers discursive reference points through which contextually credible accusations of ‘crime’ are mounted. Focusing particularly on the ethical dimensions of what might be considered a ‘lore’ (rather than law) of criminal accusation, it examines several ways that exemplary cases reflect paradigms of accusatorial practice, accuser identity formation and accused response. With such assumptive grids in mind, the paper signals the potential value of rescuing accusation from fundamental attachments to (a criminally defined) order and disorder, as well as images of a distinct accuser and accused offender. It then alludes to the prospect of pursuing justice through less exclusive forms of accusation

论有组织犯罪的社会对策

随着经济全球化、全球信息化的快速发展 ,有组织犯罪活动日益猖獗 ,并已成为全球关注的问题。从世界范围来看 ,不仅对什么是有组织犯罪及其范围引起了广泛的讨论 ,而且从立法和司法的角度对有组织犯罪进行了大量的对策研究 ,特别是从国际合作层面上加强刑法的一体化 ,共同打击跨国有组织犯罪越来越引起人们的关注。就我国而言 ,无论在立法上还是司法上尚存很大缺陷 ,需要进一步加以完善。为促进对这一问题的深入探讨 ,特请我国著名刑法学家、刑法学泰斗马克昌先生主持并组织了本组稿件     

新时期干部培训的发展趋势与对策

党的十六大把建设“全民学习,终身学习的学习型社会”作为我国21世纪头20年全面建设小康社会的一个奋斗目标。把握新时期干部培训的发展趋势对做好干部培训工作有着重要的意义。创新干部培训的理念和方法;创建学习型组织,提高教师素质充分开发和利用学员资源;实现教师角色的转变等等,是搞好干部培训工作的重要选择。     

中缅边境跨境边民问题对打击刑事犯罪的影响

长期以来,中缅双方跨境边民在打击刑事犯罪过程中,遇到一些困难和问题,在对外开放政策和实施"桥头堡"战略,促进边疆社会经济发展过程中提出自己的意见和建议。     

新情势下对行贿罪犯罪构成的再理解

贪腐被视为最令人痛恨的官员行为之一．当然也把关注的重点转移到贪污、受贿等官员行径上,但实际上造成受贿的源头——行贿却往往被人忽视。笔者试图就社会经济的发展、民众心态的变化对行贿罪犯罪构成的主体、主观方面（犯罪目的与犯罪动机）、客体、客观方面（犯罪手段的变化）做出新的理解和判断。     

黑社会性质组织犯罪案件侦查的困境与对策——以重庆打黑经验为视角的实证性研究

黑社会性质组织犯罪严重干扰一国的经济发展和社会稳定,故其历来是犯罪打击的重点。对黑社会性质组织犯罪案件开展的侦查活动,是整个刑事诉讼程序的重要阶段,也是惩治犯罪的基本前提。当代黑社会性质组织所具有的组织结构、经济实力、背景支持和行为方式等新特征,是导致该类案件的侦查出现困境的重要原因。从分析这些特征入手,结合理论研究成果和公安实践经验,对侦查困境提出相应的对策,有助于进一步查处和有效打击黑社会性质组织犯罪。     

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IN U.S. METROPOLITAN AREAS: THE CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES OF POLICE AND SOCIAL SERVICES*

Although community responses to the problem of intimate partner violence typically focus on increasing and improving policing and social services, few studies have examined the relationship among police force size, social service providers, and women's safety at home. To address this issue, we use data from the National Crime Victimization Survey to examine patterns of intimate partner violence for 40 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) over a 16‐year period (1989–2004). We analyze the data using three‐level multilevel models, with individual respondents (N = 487,166) nested within years, nested within MSAs. Net of other important individual and contextual factors, the results show that women's likelihood of victimization is significantly lower in MSAs that employ more sworn officers per capita, whereas the states’ mandatory arrest laws are not found to have significant independent effects. Above and beyond the effects of police force size, we also find a significant negative relationship between the size of the social service workforce and intimate partner violence. Future research should develop collaborative data collection efforts to examine the specific activities of police and social service workers in dealing with intimate partner violence so that the mechanisms underlying these significant relationships can be understood more clearly.     

STUDYING CRIME TRENDS: NORMAL SCIENCE AND EXOGENOUS SHOCKS*

The study of crime trends has proceeded along two paths: 1) normal science investigations of slow‐moving and tractable changes in crime rates and explanatory conditions and 2) research encounters with unexpected and abrupt changes in crime rates resulting from exogenous shocks. I draw from my research on the relationship between crime rates and changing macroeconomic conditions to illustrate the pains and pleasures of studying crime trends with the tools of normal science. I describe my exploratory investigations of the recent homicide rise in the United States to underscore the theoretical importance and methodological challenges of research on exogenous shocks to crime rates. Finally, I hope to convey to the next generation of criminologists the intellectual excitement that comes from the study of crime trends.     

Policing and Crime Act 2017: Changes to pre-charge bail and the impact on digital forensic analysis

Following the enactment of the Police and Crime Act 2017, subsequent amendments to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 have seen a ‘cap’ placed on the length of time a suspect can be released on bail; a process commonly referred to as ‘police bail’ or ‘pre-charge bail’. Whilst designed to instil consistency and certainty into bail processes to prevent individuals being subject to lengthy periods of regulation and uncertainty, it places additional pressures on forensic services. With a focus on digital forensics, examination of digital media is a complex and time-consuming process, with existing backlogs well documented. The need for timely completion of investigations to adhere to pre-charge bail rules places additional stress on an already stretched service. This comment submission provides an initial analysis of new pre-charge bail regulations, assessing their impact on digital forensic services.     

Empirical evidence for AMBER alert as crime control theater: a comparison of student and community samples

While the AMBER Alert system is intended to facilitate the rescue of abducted children, it has practical and psychological limitations. Participants indicated their emotions and perceptions about Alerts before and after reading a vignette that manipulated details about a child abduction. Results indicate that the Alert system fits some criteria of Crime Control Theater (CCT). CCT polices are emotion-based legal actions that appear to address crime but fail to do so and have unintended consequences. Participants experienced panic about child abduction and believed the system is an effective tool which should be used no matter the unintended consequences. Emotions and panic positively related to perceptions of the system. Still, perceptions were not particularly positive, indicating that some participants recognize the system's limitations. Female and community participants generally had more positive perceptions than males and students, especially when experiencing high emotions or panic. Reading about an abduction reduced emotions overall and led to more positive perceptions (but only in the ‘AMBER Alert success’ condition). Reading about an ‘Alert failure’ did not affect perceptions. Results highlight the role of emotion in shaping perceptions of the system. As with other CCT policies, lawmakers should rely less on community sentiment and more on science when adopting legislation.