Despite recent shootings, Chicago nowhere near U.S. ‘murder capital’
The biggest cities, such as Chicago, tend to have the most murders, but when population is factored in smaller cities tend to have the highest murder rates.
Why timely, reliable data on mass killings is hard to find
Several government agencies and nonprofit groups gather and publish data on school shootings and other public mass killings. But because of data lags and differing definitions, getting a clear read on overall trends is surprisingly hard.
America’s New Drug Policy Landscape
Two-thirds of Americans now say that the government should focus more on providing treatment for drug users, and 63% say states moving away from mandatory sentences for non-violent drug offenders is a good thing.
Feds may be rethinking the drug war, but states have been leading the way
Faced with overcrowded prisons and soaring correctional costs, states are rethinking how to define and punish drug crimes.
Lower support for death penalty tracks with falling crime rates, more exonerations
Over the past half-century, public support for the death penalty has generally tracked increases and declines in rates of violent crime.
Growth in Unlawful Reentry Cases Drives Rise in Federal Crimes
Between 1992 and 2012, the number of offenders sentenced in federal courts more than doubled, driven largely by a 28-fold increase in the number of unlawful reentry convictions.
In 2013, 59% of deported immigrants convicted of a crime
President Obama ordered a review of immigration enforcement policies last week, following weeks of growing pressure from Democrats and Latino leaders, one of whom recently called him “deporter in chief.” As the number of unauthorized immigrants sent home nears two million under his administration, the president met with advocates late on Friday and acknowledged deportations […]
More hate crimes motivated by victims’ ethnicity
In about half of the cases of reported hate crimes, victims believed their ethnic background motivated the offender.
