Midterm Review: Technology and the Criminal Justice System

Exam Date: Tuesday, March 10th

Exam Format: Short answer, identifications, and multiple choice

Text Chapters to review for exam: chapters1, 2,4,5,6,and 14

Other readings: see weekly schedule on my webpage

Topics covered to date: Questions will be drawn from class lectures, the text, and the online readings/ links we reviewed in class. I recommend using the key topics identified below as a study guide. Key terms are identified for each topic area. You will be responsible for knowing these terms, as well as the basic facts related to each topic area( definitions of terms, evidence of effectiveness, extent of use, etc)

TOPICS AND KEY TERMS:

1.An Overview of the course: Assessing the impact of technological change on crime, law, and social control

Key Terms: unintended vs intended consequences, hard vs soft technology

Byrne, chapter 1

Claremont Presentation

2.The New Technology of Crime: Advances in both hard and soft technology have not been restricted to the criminal justice system’s response to crime; these advances have resulted in new opportunities for crime, new forms of criminality, new techniques for committing crime, and the creation of new categories of both offenders and victims.

  1. Exploring the impact of technology on criminal opportunity (e.g. newDrugs/new crimes; the internet and criminal opportunity)
  2. New forms of criminality (e.g. internet scams and sex crimes)
  3. New techniques for committing crimes through advances in hard and
  4. Soft technology (e.g. computer software programs, pirating, firearms)
  5. New categories of offenders and victims

3.New Technology of Crime: Identity Theft, Internet Crime schemes, and Internet Sex crimes

Web-links:

New Technology of Crime

Byrne text, chapter 2, 14( Marx’s Social Engineering strategies for crime prevention)

Internet links for Computer Crime

*Internet Crime Schemes**

Internet Crime Schemes Ppt.

4.Crime Prevention and Soft Technology: Various forms of soft, information-based technology have been applied to the prevention of a diverse number of crimes, including terrorism, school violence, workplace violence and sex crimes. Examples include:

  1. Threat assessment instruments (e.g. prevent school violence, terrorism, etc.)
  2. Bullying identification protocol
  3. Sex offender registration; sex offender risk assessment devices
  4. The use of “profiling” to prevent crime
  5. The use of mental health data by school officials; and linking mental health, criminal record, and gun purchase data bases; lessons learned from Virginia Tech tragedy
  6. The application of other forms of soft technology to crime prevention (e.g. information sharing, improved nationwide data collection protocol for criminal histories, etc.)

Reading:Byrne text, Chapter3

Myths and Facts About Sex Offenders

Frontline: The Killer at Thurston High: 'Profiling' School Shooters

The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative

Final report: Virginia Tech Tragedy

List of Deadly Campus Shootings ( How many were there?)

Reading:Byrne text, chapter 5

Crime Prevention and Soft Technology PowerPoint

Technology & Crime Prevention (Risk Assessment/Prediction) ppt.

China's All Seeing Eye

Technology and Crime Prevention Lecture

5.Crime Prevention and Hard Technology: There are a number of recent hard technology advances that have general applications to crime prevention strategies, both at the individual and community level. Examples include:

  1. Taser guns as a citizen protection device
  2. Closed circuit video monitoring of hot spot areas
  3. Street lighting as a crime prevention strategy; other environmental design options
  4. The application of other forms of hard technology to crime prevention (e.g. ignition interlock systems, alcohol censoring devices, mace, metal detectors, security systems, etc.)

Focus: How can we prevent homicide, sexual violence, and other forms of violence in school/college settings using hard and soft technology?

Byrne text, chapter 5

Tools of the Trade: Risk Prediction Instruments PPT.

Newark Cops & CCTV PPT.

6.The Police and Hard Technology: Federal, state, and local police have applied hard technology not only in the area of individual offender apprehension, but also in the area of community-level surveillance and control. In addition, technological innovations have been used to improve the safety and protection of police officer. Examples include:

  1. Improvement in weaponry of police( new guns)
  2. Less-than-lethal force technology used in mob/potential riot situations
  3. Computers in squad cars to improve criminal identification and /or for gang identification; computer-based strategies to identify criminal behavior on the internet (e.g. sex offenders, cyber crime, terrorism)
  4. Improvements in offender/citizen identification (e.g. biometrics, fingerprints, etc.)
  5. Improvements in police protection devices (e.g. bullet proof vests, new construction of police departments)
  6. Other applications of hard technology to policing

Hard Tech PowerPoint.

Reading: Text, chapter 6