CRIME IN AMERICA

by Ramsey Clark ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1970

The ""personal conscience and social ethic"" of our former Attorney General, who here discusses the ""Nature, Causes, Prevention and Control"" of crime with unarguable specifics throughout. Where the facts do not speak for themselves, seldom, there are Clark's liberal (not ""permissive"" -- i.e. Nixon), tough and fairminded concepts which always relate crime to the broader question of the society which houses it. Thus he returns relentlessly to poverty, ""ugly, disorganized, rowdy, sick, uneducated, violent and afflicted with crime"" and thus in dealing with the causes of crime, we are dealing with ourselves and our own areas of neglect and failure. The changes, of technology and population, have of course accelerated crime -- organized crime as such is both limited and ""on the ropes."" Clark in an orderly itemization deals with drugs (the law's approach to marijuana is unjust and illogical), guns (""every civilized nation but one has acted to control guns"") and, in a lengthy section, on every phase of our criminal justice. This is ""a system in theory only"" and faulted here are the police (over-reliance on weapons and ""excessive force""), the courts and prosecutors, bail and preventive detention, and prisons (and the death sentence) for many of their less than rehabilitative, let alone humane, procedures. A forceful statement.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1970

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1970

Categories: NONFICTION