Discuss the importance and/or findings of the Chicago Crime Commission, the Wickersham Commission, the American Bar Foundation, and President Lyndon Johnson's Crime Commission and how each contributed to our understanding of the criminal justice system

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The Chicago Crime Commission was created in 1919 and acted as a citizen's advocate group and kept track of the activities of local justice agencies. The Wickersham Commission, appointed in 1931 by President Herbert Hoover, analyzed the American justice system in detail and helped usher in the era of treatment and rehabilitation. It showed the complex rules and regulations that govern the system and exposed how difficult it was for justice personnel to keep track of the legal and administrative complexity. The American Bar Foundation brought to light some of the hidden or low-visibility processes that are at the heart of justice-system operations. They showed how informal decision making and the use of personal discretion are essential ingredients of the justice process. The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society, the final report of President Lyndon Johnson's Crime Commission of 1967, provided a comprehensive view of the criminal justice process and offered recommendations for its reform. Its efforts resulted in passage of the Safe Streets and Crime Control Act of 1968, which provided federal funds for state and local crime-control efforts. This launched the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA), The LEAA ushered in a new era in research and development in criminal justice and established the concept that its component agencies actually make up a system.