Crime and the Native American - Lester, David (Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1999)
It is popularly believed that Native Americans have a high frequency of criminal behavior and in addition are subjected to widespread discrimination by the criminal justice system, as are other minority groups; this book explores the data and research on criminal behavior in Native Americans, so as to determine whether these popular beliefs are valid. The research involved a literature review of all published articles on criminal behavior in Native Americans. Chapters are grouped into five sections. Part 1 covers the personal and social conditions of Native Americans and the frequency of crime and alcohol abuse. Part 2 explores crimes and misdemeanors, murder, and child abuse and neglect. Part 3 examines theories of Native American criminal behavior, social structure, and social process theories. Part 4 addresses the criminal justice system, Native American policing, law and the courts, prisons and probation, and discrimination in the criminal justice system. Part 5 provides three individual cases and three major conclusions drawn from research and commentary presented in the book. The study concludes that Native Americans do not have high crime rates; in fact, they are extraordinarily low if offenses that result from public drunkenness are excluded. Further, although discrimination against Native Americans in the criminal justice system does occur on occasions, it is not widely prevalent. The author advises that the causes of criminal behavior in Native Americans may differ from the causes of criminal behavior in other ethnic groups. Any crime prevention efforts must, therefore, take these distinctive causes into account
Includes bibliographical references and indexes
Preface -- Part 1. Introduction. Chap. 1. Introduction -- Chap. 2. The personal and social conditions of Native Americans -- Chap. 3. The frequency of Native American crime -- Chap. 4. Alcohol and crime -- Part 2. Crimes and misdemeanors. Chap. 5. Murder -- Chap. 6. Child abuse an neglect -- Chap. 7. Other criminal behaviors -- Part 3. Theories of Native American criminal behavior. Chap. 8. General theories -- Chap. 9. Positivist individualistic theories -- Chap. 10. Social structure theories -- Chap. 11. Social process theories -- Part 4. The criminal justice system. Chap. 12. Native American policing -- Chap. 13. The law and the courts -- Chap. 14. Prisons and probation -- Chap. 15. Discrimination in the criminal justice system -- Part 5. Conclusions. Chap. 16. Conclusion -- Appendix : tables -- Index