The Prevalence of Crime in the United States and Its Extent Compared with That in the Leading European States

Abstract

It is a striking, though not a generally known fact, that the increase of crime in the United States has been greatly out of proportion to the growth of our population. This is a fact so important and alarming, that it demands the attention of every true patriot. The common saying that a wave of crime is now passing over the country which may subside in time, gives no explanation of the facts, and affords little consolation. Only by a careful study of the statistical evidence is it possible to ascertain the true situation in the United States. A comparison of crime conditions in this country as we learn of them in our national and state records, with the conditions in the leading European countries may help us to understand the situation in the United States and may suggest some possible means of remedy. This is the purpose of the present paper. In order to understand the true value of criminal statistics in the United States, we should consider first, the character of our national and state statistics. Criminal statistics may be divided in three classes: first, judicial statistics, which are a record of the number of convictions, and the applications of penalties; secondly, 'prison statistics, which deal with the number of prisoners, their offences, the penalties, etc.; finally, the actual criminal statistics, which give the data concerning the convict's appearance and criminal record. All of these statistics become of value only when compared with the statistics of the population and the social status of non-criminals. Of the various classes of statistics