Go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/. This is the site for the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics. Look in "crimes and victims" under "characteristics of crime." Find "Property crime characteristics." BJS Publications gives information on the costs of crime to victims. Use the data in the ASCIII text file to answer the following questions.
What is the mean loss for all crimes?
What is included in the calculation of the direct costs of crime to victims?
What "non-direct" of the total costs of crime to victims is NOT included in these measures?
Go to http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/. This is the web site of State of Texas Legislative Budget Board. Use the information there to answer questions (a) and (b).
How much did Texas spend on "public safety" last year? What percent of the total budget was spent on public safety?
What are the three areas with the highest state expenditures in Texas? What does this tell you about the possible opportunity cost of spending on public safety in Texas?
Find the following information about the Texas criminal justice system:
How much does it cost per day to keep an inmate in prison in Texas?
What is the range in cost per day to keep an inmate in prison for the 15 most populous states?
What other criminal justice program could this money be spent on? How can it be determined if this level of expenditure is efficient?
Search the internet for crime prevention products.
What range of prices do you find for home alarm systems?
What does the prevalence of crime prevention products and their cost tell you about the opportunity cost of crime for potential victims? Explain.
What do sales of crime prevention products do to GDP?
