A further look at long cycles and criminal justice legislation

This article builds on the work of Barlow and Barlow, who use models based on the long economic cycle as a theoretical and empirical means for reorientating examinations of criminal justice trends. Empirically, using factor-analytic and multivariate logistic and OLS procedures, we find some support for long-cycle-model interpretations of trends in federal criminal justice legislation. Equally important, we find no support for a connection between federal criminal justice legislative trends and levels of crime. Our analysis suggests that economic processes exist independent of economic long cycles and crime trends, and that these also should be considered in discussing trends in crime control. In conclusion, we argue that alternative economically situated, contextualized models which look beyond the crimejustice nexus are needed if criminal justice theory and research are to be revitalized.

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the meetings of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, held in Las Vegas in March 1996. We would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers from Justice Quarterly for their comments.

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the meetings of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, held in Las Vegas in March 1996. We would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers from Justice Quarterly for their comments.

Notes

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the meetings of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, held in Las Vegas in March 1996. We would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers from Justice Quarterly for their comments.