Section I: Crime & Punishment in the U.S.
Public perception & the crime rate
- Percent of people in 1996 who thought there was more crime in the United States than the year prior29: 71%
- Percent of people in 1996 who thought there was more crime in their local area than the year prior30: 46%
- Percent change in arrest rate for index crimes (serious crimes tracked by the FBI) from 1995 to 199631: -5.1%
- Percent of people in 2000 who thought there was more crime in the United States than the year prior32: 47%
- Percent of people in 2000 who thought there was more crime in their local area than the year prior33: 34%
- Percent change in arrest rate for index crimes from 1999 to 200034: -6.6%
This page is an excerpt from The Prison Index: Taking the Pulse of the Crime Control Industry (2003) by Peter Wagner, published by the Western Prison Project and the Prison Policy Initiative..
