Just In.


MENU TITLE: Just In
Series: NCJRS Catalog
Published: September/October 1996
25 pages
37,619 bytes

JUST IN

Selected Additions to the NCJRS Document Collection

This section announces new publications and
audiovisual materials that keep you up to date on
advances in criminal justice. Documents listed are
recent additions to the NCJRS Document Data Base.

The acquisition of a document or the inclusion of a
document abstract in the Catalog does not
constitute an endorsement of the document or its
contents by the U.S. Department of Justice.

All publications in the NCJRS document collection
may be borrowed through interlibrary loan. (Videos
are not available.) Contact your local library for
further information.

Selected publications are available as hard copy
reproductions ($5 per document plus 10 cents per
page). Call NCJRS at 800-851-3420 to verify
availability.

Publications in this Catalog designated "available
electronically" are accessible via the Internet or
a modem connection. 

------------------------------

Corrections

Capital Punishment 1995

James J. Stephan and Tracy L. Snell 
Bureau of Justice Statistics

1996. 13 pp. NCJ 162043

Available free from NCJRS.  Also available electronically.

Presents characteristics of persons under sentence
of death on December 31, 1995, and persons executed
in 1995. This annual BJS Bulletin summarizes the
movement of prisoners into and out of death
sentence status during the year. Numerical tables
present data on offenders' sex, race, Hispanic
origin, education, marital status, age at the time
of arrest for capital offense, legal status at the
time of capital offense, method of execution;
trends; and the time between imposition of the
death sentence and execution. Historical tables
present sentencing since 1973. 

A Corrections-Based Continuum of Effective Drug
Abuse Treatment

James A. Inciardi, Ph.D., University of Delaware
National Institute of Justice 

1996. 4 pp. FS 000145

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Presents preliminary findings of a study conducted
by researchers at the University of Delaware. The
findings indicate that a longer and more
comprehensive continuum of treatment increases the
likelihood that an offender will be drug free and
arrest free in the long term. This Research Preview
states that, 18 months after release, drug
offenders who received 12 to 15 months of treatment
in prison followed by 6 months of drug treatment
and job training were more than twice as likely to
be drug free than offenders who received prison-
based treatment alone.

Implementing Performance-Based Measures in
Community Corrections

Harry N. Boone, Jr., Ph.D., and Betsy A. Fulton
National Institute of Justice

1996. 8 pp. NCJ 158836

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Describes a model process for community corrections
agencies' strategic planning and evaluation that
relies on performance-based measures. The NIJ-
sponsored project was based on the idea that
performance-based measures could provide agencies
with a mechanism for assessing what they do and how
well they do it. This Research in Brief provides a
rationale for these measures and a step-by-step
discussion of the model process. 

Tuberculosis in Correctional Facilities 1994-95

Karen Wilcock, Theodore M. Hammett, Rebecca Widom,
and Joel Epstein
National Institute of Justice

1996. 12 pp. NCJ 157809

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Provides results of a 1994 survey cosponsored by
NIJ and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention to determine the existing dimensions of
the tuberculosis (TB) problem in adult correctional
facilities and the prevention and control
strategies used to address it. A key issue is that
correctional facilities house inmates at high risk
for contracting tuberculosis, frequently under
crowded, poorly ventilated conditions. According to
this Research in Brief, detecting all cases of TB
infection is difficult because of such problems as
false-negative TB skin tests resulting from
coinfection with HIV.

------------------------------

Courts

Comparing Case Processing Statistics
Bureau of Justice Statistics
1996. 2 pp. NCJ 161133

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Identifies the primary differences in case
processing statistics reported by the
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the
Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Executive Office
for the U.S. Attorneys, the Federal Bureau of
Prisons, and the U.S. Sentencing Commission and
explains distinctions between them. By examining
issues central to the collection and reporting of
Federal criminal justice statistics--defendants
processed, offenses committed, and dispositions and
sentences imposed--this joint statement by the five
Federal criminal justice agencies clarifies
differences in emphasis, definition, and
classification. As part of an ongoing effort to
reconcile case processing statistics, the agencies
plan to develop selected statistics that use
uniform reporting standards. In addition, as part
of its Federal Justice Statistics Program, BJS will
continue to publish the Compendium of Federal
Justice Statistics, which describes all aspects of
processing in the Federal criminal justice system.

Juvenile Justice: Juveniles Processed in Criminal
Court and Case Dispositions

United States General Accounting Office

1995. 93 pp. NCJ 160051

Not available from NCJRS. Order from United States
General Accounting Office (GAO), P.O. Box 6015,
Gaithersburg, MD 20884-6015 (202-512-6000). Free.

Presents the GAO's Report to Congressional
Requestors on juveniles processed in criminal court
and their case dispositions. The report was
prepared in response to the 1992 reauthorization of
the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
of 1974, which mandated a study of issues 
related to juveniles sent to criminal court versus
juvenile court. Using data from the National Center
for Juvenile Justice for 1988 through 1993, the
analysis revealed that less than 2 percent of the
juvenile delinquency cases filed in juvenile court
were transferred to criminal court. In recent
years, many States have changed their laws to
expand the criteria under which juveniles may be
sent to criminal court. 

Prosecutors in State Courts, 1994

Carol J. DeFrances, Steven K. Smith, and 
Louise van der Does
Bureau of Justice Statistics

1996. 8 pp. NCJ 151656

Available free from NCJRS.  Also available electronically.

Presents findings from the 1994 National Survey of
Prosecutors, the most recent in a series of
biennial sample surveys of State court prosecutors.
Data from the survey include the number of
employees nationwide, annual office budget for
prosecutorial functions, total size of office
staff, number of felony cases closed, and number of
felony convictions. New topic areas covered in this
Bulletin include juvenile cases waived to criminal
court, the cross-designation of prosecutors to
litigate in Federal court, procedures for handling
civil actions against prosecutors and other
professional staff, and types of community
involvement by prosecutors. 

Regional Seminar Series on Developing and
Implementing Antistalking Codes

Bureau of Justice Assistance

1996. 154 pp. NCJ 156836

Available free from NCJRS. Also available electronically.

Provides an overview of the seminar series'
proceedings and findings, a profile of existing
State antistalking statutes, an analysis of recent
State appellate court decisions in stalking cases,
and information on developments in civil protective
order laws since publication of the model code. The
seminars allowed policymakers to assess the
strengths and weaknesses of existing State laws and
review alternative approaches to enforcement. The
model code and commentary, and the principal
recommendations contained in the final report of
the model code project, are included in appendixes.

------------------------------

Crime Prevention

Conflict Resolution Education: A Guide to
Implementing Programs in Schools, Youth-Serving
Organizations, and Community and Juvenile Justice
Settings

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention 

1996. 175 pp. NCJ 160935

Available free from NCJRS.

Advances conflict resolution education as one
component of a comprehensive program to reduce and
prevent juvenile crime and violence in schools and
communities. Developed by OJJDP in partnership with
the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program of the U.S.
Department of Education, this guide provides
information and tools for selecting and
implementing a conflict resolution education
program within a variety of settings, including
schools and alternative schools, juvenile justice
facilities, community organizations, and other
youth serving agencies.

The New Immigrant Hispanic Population: 
An Integrated Approach to Preventing 
Delinquency and Crime

Orlando Rodriguez, Ph.D., Fordham University
National Institute of Justice

1996. 4 pp. FS 000144

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Presents the findings of a study of Puerto Rican
adolescents in New York City that integrated
socioeconomic, psychosocial, and social science
theories. The study revealed that some of the same
factors associated with delinquency in the
mainstream population--family, peers, and attitudes
toward deviance--also can be used to analyze this
group, with some of the same effects. This Research
Preview states that studies of Hispanics should
take Hispanic culture into account.

No More Violence: Reclaiming Our Communities

Bureau of Justice Assistance, George Washington 
University, and Asian-Pacific American Bar
Association

1996. Video. 30 minutes. NCJ 162422

Not available from NCJRS. Order from Asian-Pacific
American Bar Association Education Fund, AEF
Treasurer, P.O. Box 2209, Washington, DC 20013-
2209. $10.

Explains the criminal justice system to the Asian-
Pacific American community. The video is an
invaluable tool for law enforcement officials and
community leaders seeking ways to fight and prevent
crime and violence in Asian-Pacific American
communities. Produced in English, the video will
also be available in Korean, Chinese, and
Vietnamese.

Safer Communities, Brighter Futures

Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Crime 
Prevention Council

1996. 24 pp. NCJ 161870

Not available from NCJRS. Order from National Crime
Prevention Council, 1700 K Street, NW., Second
Floor, Washington, DC 20006-3817 (202-466-6272).
Individual orders free.

Created to promote Crime Prevention Month, October
1996, this document includes all the tools to help
individuals and communities spread crime prevention
messages. Included in the packet are sample press
releases, camera-ready artwork, and McGruff
licensed educational products, as well as other
helpful information on crime and how to prevent it.

350 Tested Strategies to Prevent Crime: A Resource
for Municipal Agencies and Community Groups

Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Crime 
Prevention Council

1995. 393 pp. NCJ 159777

Not available from NCJRS. Order from National Crime
Prevention Council, Fulfillment Center, P.O. Box 1,
100 Church Street, Amsterdam, NY 12010 (800-627-
2911). $39.95 plus $3.99 shipping and handling.

Explains 350 effective crime prevention strategies
that communities can adapt to meet their
circumstances and needs, and presents program
examples to illustrate the use of each. Each
chapter includes 10 to 15 major topics and
highlights of their central components,
partnerships, potential obstacles, and signs of
success. At the end of each chapter is a
bibliography with opportunities for further
research. A section containing a resource guide
provides information on dozens of national, State,
and local groups that provide resources and program
examples.

Watch Your Car Program Fact Sheet

Bureau of Justice Assistance

1996. 5 pp. FS 000151

Available free from NCJRS. Also available electronically.

Summarizes the national "Watch Your Car" program, a
cooperative initiative between States, local
governments, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
The Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention (MVTP) Act of
1994 authorized the Attorney General to develop, in
cooperation with the States, a national, voluntary
motor vehicle theft prevention program. This fact
sheet explains how to participate in the program,
how it works, and gives information about similar
auto theft prevention programs in other States. 

------------------------------

Criminal Justice Research

Adult Patterns of Criminal Behavior

Julie Horney, D. Wayne Osgood, and Ineke Haen
Marshall, University of Nebraska
National Institute of Justice

1996. 2 pp. FS 000146

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Summarizes results of a study conducted by NIJ that
examined whether changes in life circumstances,
such as being employed, living with a wife or
girlfriend, or modifying alcohol or drug use, alter
the crime patterns of convicted adult male felons.
The researchers interviewed convicted felons and
analyzed month-to-month changes in offending and
life circumstances to understand change in adult
criminal behavior, and found that adult offenders'
criminal careers do not necessarily follow a
predetermined course. Moreover, this Research
Preview states that the combined effects of several
crime-inhibiting life circumstances may bring about
substantial long-term change in patterns of
criminal behavior among previously incarcerated
male felons. 

Boot Camps for Juvenile Offenders: 
An Implementation Evaluation of Three 
Demonstration Programs

Blair B. Bourque, Roberta C. Cronin, Daniel B.
Felker, Frank R. Pearson, Mei Han, and Sarah M.
Hill
National Institute of Justice

1996. 12 pp. NCJ 157317

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Provides key findings of the National Institute of
Justice-sponsored evaluation of the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
demonstration program to examine the feasibility,
appropriateness, and promise of the boot camp model
for juvenile offenders. The evaluation team found
that the programs at the three demonstration sites
(Cleveland, Denver, and Mobile) met their goals in
the planning and implementation phases. On the
basis of 1 year of operation, the programs were
found to improve youths' attitudes and be cost-
effective, but the aftercare component had problems
with absenteeism and noncompletion.

Convicted by Juries, Exonerated by Science: Case
Studies in the Use of DNA Evidence to Establish
Innocence After Trial

Edward Connors, Thomas Lundregan, Neal Miller, and
Tom McEwen
National Institute of Justice

1996. 88 pp. NCJ 161258

Available free from NCJRS.  Also available electronically.

Describes a study that focused on persons initially
convicted and imprisoned but later released through
postconviction forensic use of DNA technology. The
study identified and reviewed cases in which
convicted persons were released from prison as a
result of posttrial DNA testing of evidence. The
study also involved a survey of 40 laboratories
that conduct DNA testing. Brief profiles of 28
exculpatory cases are included in this Research
Report, along with an exhibit showing DNA evidence
admission in criminal trials by State. 

Delinquency in China: Study of a Birth Cohort

Marvin Wolfgang, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
National Institute of Justice

1996. 4 pp. FS 000143

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Presents the initial findings of a study of a birth
cohort at age 17, which focused on more than 5,000
individuals born in 1973 in the Wuchang district of
the city of Wuhan, China. Researchers used census
data together with police records, school visits,
and, in an attempt to find data on delinquent acts
by the cohort that were not reported to police,
information provided by neighborhood committees.
Members of the cohort and their parents also were
interviewed. This Research Preview states that
family cohesiveness and life goals contribute to
the cohort's low delinquency rate of less than 2
percent.

Evaluation of Drug Treatment in Local Corrections

Sandra Tunis, Ph.D., James Austin, Ph.D., Mark 
Morris, Ph.D., Patricia Hardyman, Ph.D., and 
Melissa Bolyard, M.A.
National Institute of Justice

1996. 162 pp. NCJ 159313

Available free from NCJRS. Call or write for a
copy. Also available electronically.

Provides the results of an NIJ-sponsored evaluation
of several drug treatment programs in local jails.
The study was designed to provide detailed and
systematic descriptions of participants and
treatment program components for five drug
treatment programs (three in California and two in
New York City). Included in the evaluation are
program completion rates, as well as 12-month
postrelease outcomes (recidivism) for program
participants versus matched controls. In general,
these programs had modest positive effects on the
probability, but not the timing, of recidivism (for
those who committed new offenses) within 1 year of
jail release. 

HIV/AIDS and STDs in Juvenile Facilities

Rebecca Widom and Theodore M. Hammett
National Institute of Justice

1996. 12 pp. NCJ 155509

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Highlights the findings of a 1994 survey by the
National Institute of Justice and Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention about policies,
programs, and data regarding HIV/AIDS and sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs) in State and local
juvenile justice detention centers and training
schools. Although only about 1 percent of
individuals diagnosed with AIDS between 1993 and
1994 were between 13 and 19 years of age, many
youths engaged in high-risk behavior that put them
in danger of contracting HIV and STDs. Of the 53
systems that provided complete data to the survey,
approximately three-fourths offered HIV-prevention
counseling in juvenile facilities. More State
systems than county and city systems included safer
sex practices, negotiating skills, self-perception
of risk, the meaning of HIV/STD tests, and proper
condom use in their programs.

Improved Postmortem Detection of 
Carbon Monoxide and Cyanide

Barry K. Logan, Ph.D., Washington State Toxicology
Laboratory
National Institute of Justice

1996. 2 pp. FS 000142

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Summarizes the results of an NIJ-supported project
to develop and evaluate an improved postmortem
method for detecting (1) hydrogen cyanide gas
released from inorganic cyanide in biological
material and (2) carbon monoxide gas found in fire
gases or automobile exhaust. The GPE (gas phase
electrochemical) method for detecting and measuring
carbon monoxide was first proposed in 1988 but
permitted analysis of only a few samples per hour
and required the full-time attention of the
equipment operator. According to this Research
Preview, evidence indicates that the improved GPE
methodology is a reliable and advantageous
alternative to other techniques. 

Intervening with High-Risk Youth: Preliminary
Findings from the Children-at-Risk Program

Adele Harrell, Ph.D., and The Urban Institute
National Institute of Justice

1996. 4 pp. FS 000140

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Reports on initial findings of an evaluation of the
Children-at-Risk (CAR) program, a drug and
delinquency prevention program targeting high-risk
adolescents ages 11 to 13 living in distressed
neighborhoods. According to this Research Preview,
after 1 year youths in the program had fewer
contacts with police and courts and higher rates of
school attendance and promotion to the next grade
level than the control group. There was also
evidence of greater declines in neighborhood crime
in CAR neighborhoods in three of the four cities
studied. 

A National Survey of Aftercare Provisions for Boot
Camp Graduates

Blair B. Bourque, Mei Han, and Sarah M. Hill
National Institute of Justice

1996. 16 pp. NCJ 157664

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Highlights findings of an NIJ-sponsored national
survey of 52 boot camps and their aftercare
programs. The study employed a three-tiered process
to identify the range of available aftercare
programming: a telephone survey, creation of boot
camp and aftercare program summaries, and site
visits. This Research in Brief states that the
survey found a number of models for integrating the
aftercare functions with the boot camps.

Under Fire: Gun Buy-Backs, Exchanges, and Amnesty
Programs

Martha R. Plotkin, ed.
Police Executive Research Forum

1996. NCJ 161877

Not available from NCJRS. Order from PERF
Publications, 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20036 (202-466-7820). $18.95 plus
shipping and handling.

Assesses the effectiveness of gun buy-backs,
exchanges, and amnesty programs on gun-related
crime. The report brings together the views of
researchers, community organizers, police
practitioners, and public health professionals to
assess how buy-backs, exchanges, and amnesty
programs are promoted, implemented, evaluated, and
perceived. Included in the volume are researchers'
assessments of specific programs, recommendations
for future research and evaluation, community
organizers' perspectives on how and why these
programs are implemented, and suggestions for those
considering implementing one of these programs.

------------------------------

Grants/Funding

Church Arson Prevention Grant Program Fact Sheet

Bureau of Justice Assistance
1996. 1 pp. FS 000153

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Presents the new component of the National Arson
Prevention Initiative--the Church Arson Prevention
Grant Program--which was introduced by President
Clinton on July 2, 1996. Under this program, $6
million is available to county governments in 13
States. The funds may be used to enhance security
measures in and around churches, hire a part-time
law enforcement officer to increase patrol and
surveillance of churches, establish or expand
neighborhood watch, and pay overtime to presently
employed law enforcement officers. Each eligible
county government that applies will receive a one-
time direct payment of $4,600 from the Bureau of
Justice Assistance upon receipt and approval of a
complete application. The award period for each
grant under this program will be 180 days. The
application must be signed by the Chief Executive
Officer of the county. 

Local Law Enforcement Block Grant Program Fact
Sheet

Bureau of Justice Assistance

1996. 3 pp. FS 000147

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Announces funding available to units of local
government for the purpose of underwriting projects
to reduce crime and improve public safety. Program
funds must be used for one or more of the seven
purpose areas outlined in the fact sheet.

State Criminal Alien Assistance Program Fact Sheet 

Bureau of Justice Assistance

1996. 2 pp. FS 000152

Available free from NCJRS.  Also available electronically. 

Provides information on Federal funds that were
available from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to
prisons and jails to help pay the costs of
incarcerating criminal aliens who are in the United
States illegally and who have been convicted and
sentenced for felony offenses. 

------------------------------

Juvenile Justice

1995 Report to Congress: Title V Grants for Local
Delinquency Prevention Programs Office of 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

1996. 100 pp. NCJ 160942

Available free from NCJRS.

Describes activities and accomplishments of grant
activities funded under Title V, identifies
successful approaches, and makes recommendations
for future Title V activities. This annual report
also reviews the Title V Program and delineates the
role it plays in the prevention of juvenile
delinquency.

Title V Delinquency Prevention Program Community
Self-Evaluation Workbook

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention

1996. 162 pp. NCJ 160125

Available free from NCJRS. Limited number of copies
available. Call or write for a copy.

Assists communities in assessing their delinquency
prevention programs by providing information and
resource aids on program planning, evaluation
design, performing data analysis, and measuring
outcomes. Although designed primarily for Title V
grantees, the workbook provides instructions and
examples of forms that can be used to support any
evaluation.

------------------------------

Law Enforcement

Federal Resources on Missing and Exploited
Children: A Directory for Law Enforcement and Other
Public and Private Agencies

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention 

1996. 126 pp. NCJ 161475

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Provides a compilation of the many services,
programs, publications, and training that address
child sexual exploitation, child pornography, child
abduction, and missing children. Prepared by the
Federal Agency Task Force for Missing and Exploited
Children, this directory represents their effort to
enhance coordination of delivery of Federal
services to missing and exploited children and
their families. 

Legal Guide for Policy: Constitutional Issues,
Fourth Edition

John C. Klotter

1996. 214 pp. NCJ 160128

Not available from NCJRS. Order from Anderson
Publishing Company, P.O. Box 1576, Cincinnati, OH
(800-582-7295). $21.95 plus $4 shipping and
handling.

Explains the common constitutional questions that
confront police officers, and discusses the legal
standards relating to detention, arrest, search and
seizure, questioning suspects, and pretrial
identification procedures. This volume was designed
for use by police training programs and police
officers who are seeking and preparing evidence to
use in court. Each chapter outlines general
considerations on the topic, summarizes applicable
legislation and judicial decisions, and explains
the legal standards relating to a variety of
specific actions under the general topic. 

Using Agency Records To Find Missing Children: A
Guide for Law Enforcement

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention 

1996. 20 pp. NCJ 154633

Available free from NCJRS. See order from. Also
available electronically.

Provides information and ideas designed to assist
law enforcement officers in obtaining and using
records from various human services providers to
locate missing children. Both mandated and
voluntary access to records from schools, medical
care providers, child welfare agencies, and various
shelters are discussed.

------------------------------

Reference and Statistics

Justice Expenditure and Employment Extracts: 1992
Data From the Annual General Finance and Employment
Surveys

Sue A. Lindgren
Bureau of Justice Statistics

1996. 86 pp. NCJ 148821

Available free from NCJRS. 

Provides criminal justice expenditure and
employment data on spending and personnel levels
for 1992 and national trend data for 1980 to 1992
for Federal, State, and local governments for three
sectors: police protection, judicial and legal
services (courts, legal services and prosecution,
and public defense), and corrections. It provides
expenditure data for the fiscal year, employment
and payroll data for October, and data on capital
outlay, intergovernmental expenditure, and
employment and payroll data by sector for
individual State and large local governments. The
data are from the Census Bureau's annual sample
surveys of governmental finance and employment,
modified to conform more closely to definitions and
classification schemes developed by BJS for its
periodic Justice Expenditure and Employment Survey.
Data from the two series are not comparable;
definitional and other differences in the series
are discussed. An appendix presents definitions of
terms. 

Statistical Handbook on Violence in America

Adam Dobrin, Brian Wiersema, Colin Loftin, and
David McDowall, eds.

1996. 413 pp. NCJ 160132

Not available from NCJRS. Order from Oryx Press,
4041 North Central Avenue, Suite 700, Phoenix, AZ
85012 (602-265-2651). $54.50 plus $5.45 shipping
and handling.

Presents more than 330 tables and 40 figures
providing statistical data on the nature and extent
of violence, its geographic distribution, the
demographic variations in violent behavior and risk
for victimization, the circumstances associated
with violent incidents, and public opinion
concerning violence and its prevention. The
information is intended for use by researchers,
policymakers, service providers, community-based
organizations starting prevention programs, and
staff of public and private funding agencies.
Chapters describe patterns of interpersonal
violence that result in death and other types of
interpersonal violence, vulnerable groups and high-
risk situations, tangible losses and measurable
consequences of violence, and public attitudes on
justifiable violence and other related topics.

------------------------------

Victims

Age Patterns of Violent Victimizations

Craig A. Perkins
Bureau of Justice Statistics

1996. 14 pp. NCJ 162031

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Presents the first data from the redesigned
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) that
examines the characteristics of violent crime
against youth. It compares teenagers and young
adults to older persons and discusses the high
victimization rates of young people in the United
States. This Special Report, covering 1992 through
1994, focuses on the violent crimes of rape,
robbery, and aggravated assault (from the NCVS) and
homicide (from crimes reported to police). It
includes information about the characteristics of
these violent incidents, including time and place
of their occurrence, resultant injuries, and
whether they were reported to the police.
Differences in levels of violence by race,
ethnicity, sex, family income, locale, and other
characteristics are discussed.

Criminal Victimization 1995: National Crime
Victimization Survey 

Craig A. Perkins and Patsy A. Klaus
Bureau of Justice Statistics

1996. 6 pp. NCJ 162032 

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Presents the first 1995 findings from the National
Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The findings are
based on this ongoing survey of about 100,000
persons in 50,000 households each year. The
findings are based on the redesigned survey that
was phased into the sample beginning in 1992. This
annual BJS Bulletin includes the violent crimes of
rape and sexual assault, robbery, both aggravated
and simple assault (from the NCVS), and homicide
(from crimes reported to the police). Property
crimes covered include burglaries, motor vehicle
thefts, and thefts of other property. This report
also summarizes other findings, including the
extent to which crimes are reported to the police,
the characteristics of victims, and comparisons
between 1994 and 1995 victimization rates and
levels. 

Helping Battered Women: New Perspectives and
Remedies

Albert R. Roberts

1996. 247 pp. NCJ 161415

Not available from NCJRS. Order from Oxford 
University Press, Inc., 2001 Evans Road, Cary, 
NC 27513 (800-451-7556). $24 (paperback), plus
$3.50 shipping and handling.

Presents major policy reforms and recent program
developments. Contributors include prominent social
workers, clinical psychologists, policy analysts,
and criminal justice educators. Part I explores the
latest policy issues, empirical research, social
change efforts, and case management strategies;
Part II provides detailed information on police
responses to abused women in the 1990's, the latest
civil and criminal remedies that magistrates can
order on behalf of battered women, changing legal
remedies, recognition of women battering as a
crime, expert testimony, and battered woman
syndrome; and Part III discusses crisis-oriented
responses, mental health assessment and
interventions, services for battered women and
their children, and the false connection between
alcoholism and domestic violence.

HIV/AIDS and Victim Services: A Critical Concern
for the 90's--A Training Manual

Office for Victims of Crime and the National 
Victim Center

1996. 412 pp. NCJ 161415

Limited quantities available free from NCJRS. Call
the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at
800-627-6872. Also available electronically.

Provides a complete training manual for victim
assistance professionals. This volume includes
chapters with information about special
populations, child victims, HIV testing of sex
offenders, crisis intervention, and triage. The all-
day training program, with overheads, provides
basic information about the disease, its impact on
victims of crime, its impact on the workplace, and
how victim assistance professionals could and
should respond. This manual is the result of an OVC
grant.

Measuring Intentional Injuries Using the National
Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS)

Michael R. Rand
Bureau of Justice Statistics

1996. 8 pp. NCJ 156921

Available free from NCJRS. Also available electronically.

Summarizes findings from the first 12 months of
data collection on intentional injuries treated in
hospital emergency rooms, and describes the
Consumer Product Safety Commission's NEISS program.
Existing estimates of difficult-to-measure violence
such as domestic violence vary greatly, mostly
because of differences in data collection methods
and lack of consensus on the behaviors defining the
violence being measured. In an effort to improve
estimates of serious violence, including domestic
violence and sexual assault, BJS has used NEISS
since October 1993 to collect data on intentional
injuries. Conducted at a sample of the Nation's
hospitals to estimate product-related injuries,
NEISS was modified to obtain data on
characteristics of persons treated for
intentionally inflicted injuries, characteristics
of those causing the injury, and circumstances of
injury incidents. 

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Violence

Understanding and Preventing Violence: 
A Public Health Perspective

Arthur L. Kellerman, M.D., M.P.H., Emory University
National Institute of Justice

1996. 4 pp. FS 000141
Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Presents key findings of Emory University's Center
for Injury Control's research projects, which
feature an explicit partnership between public
health and local law enforcement. This Research
Preview points out a number of problems in
gathering accurate data on violence, including
unreported gunshot wounds. The Center found that
firearms in the home are associated with an
increased risk of suicide or homicide among family
members residing there and that policy-relevant
research on gun violence reduction efforts--
especially in terms of youth violence--is vital in
determining which aspects of comprehensive
programs, such as Atlanta's Pulling America's
Communities Together (PACT), are effective. 

The Validity and Use of Evidence Concerning
Battering and Its Effect in Criminal Trials

National Institute of Justice and U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS), National
Institute of Mental Health

1996. 210 pp. NCJ 160972

Available from NCJRS. $23 U.S., $26 elsewhere. Also
available electronically.

Presents scientific and clinical knowledge about
battering and its effects and the extent and impact
of its introduction as evidence in criminal trials.
This report to Congress presents three papers
addressing the issues specified by the Violence
Against Women Act: (1) the medical and
psychological validity of the effects of battering;
(2) the extent to which evidence and expert
testimony on this issue have been admitted in
criminal trials; and (3) assessments by criminal
justice professionals of the effects of this
evidence in criminal trials. 

Youth Violence, Guns, and Illicit Drug 
Markets

Alfred Blumstein, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University
National Institute of Justice

1996 4 pp. FS 000129 

Available free from NCJRS. Also available
electronically.

Summarizes a seminar presentation on how homicide
incidents among the young have changed and the
connection between homicide and age, race, guns,
and illegal drugs. Eighteen-year-olds now have the
highest homicide rate. The researcher discusses
this hypothesis: the link between the diffusion of
guns to juveniles and the general community--a
result of young peoples' recruitment into the
illegal drug trade--is reflected in the 120-percent
jump in the homicide arrest rate for nonwhite
juveniles for 1985 to 1992. This Research Preview
updates the December 1995 release.