History of Crime and Punishment in America: 1950–1970

Between 1950 and 1970, official crime rates in the United States increased dramatically. During this period, the media brought attention to organized crime and police corruption. In the 1960s, acts previously thought of as private family matters were redefined as domestic violence crimes. Awareness of the victim as the forgotten person in the criminal justice system grew in society, and the victim's rights movement was established. The civil rights movement brought attention to the discriminatory treatment of African Americans by the criminal justice ...