Gad J. Bensinger

Hate Crimes: A New/Old Problem

Hate Crimes—crimes motivated by prejudice, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation—are generally believed to have increased globally in recent years. In the United States, traditional racist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan have been joined by “neo-Nazi skinheads” and other extremist collectives known for their use of violence and intimidation. Several new initiatives have been undertaken to counter this phenomenon. By now all but a few states have enacted laws against hate crimes and an increasing number of law enforcement agencies have added Hate Crime Units to their departments. Unprecedented efforts are being made, especially at the federal level, to compile and disseminate statistical information on bias-motivated crimes. This paper reviews and assesses some of the more recent developments and policies in different jurisdictions and concludes that despite the new efforts underway, hate crimes represent a challenge to law enforcement that still needs to be met.

An analysis of police responses to gangs in Chicago

In response to Chicago’s well‐documented gang problem, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) established its first specialized gang unit in 1967. In the ensuing decades, the CPD reorganized its core gang unit several times and expanded its anti‐gang response through numerous supporting restructuring efforts. The Chicago experience indicates that reorganization can positively and negatively influence the relative effectiveness of the police response to gangs. As such, the lessons for police departments are twofold: be careful when restructuring, particularly when adapting for reasons not tied to the actual gang problem; but reorganize whenever necessary to address rising gang violence.

The Juvenile Court of Cook County: Past, Present and Future

Abstract In view of the ongoing collective debate over the future of the juvenile court, this article presents a brief historical narration and an analysis of some of the current problems affecting...

Operation Greylord and its Aftermath

Operation Greylord is regarded as the largest and most successful investigation into courtroom misconduct in the history of the American judiciary. The target of this federal investigation was the Cook County (Chicago and suburbs) court system—the largest system of its kind in the United States. The success of the investigation is attributed to the fact that it was a typical “sting” operation in which the F.B.I. fabricated cases, tape recorded conversations, tapped telephones, and planted a bug in the chambers of at least one judge. At this time, the consequences of Greylord continue to shake the system. Over 60 individuals have been convicted, two committed suicide, and others are still awaiting indictment. Never before has the legal profession in Chicago been more humiliated. And at no other time has there been a greater need to restore the publics faith in both the bench and the bar. To that end, important recommendations have been made (some of which have already been implemented) to reform the admin...

Victims Assistance in Illinois: A Case Study

Within recent years there has been increased sensitivity in the United States to the rights and needs of victims of crime. Illinois, which at the turn of the century pioneered the juvenile court, has taken the lead in the area of rights for crime victims and witnesses. The needs of victims for compensation, information, notification, recognition, and assistance have been met by the Illinois legislature and, by extension, by the criminal justice system. This article discusses The Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Act, The Violent Crime Victims Assistance Act, The Bill of Rights for Victims and Witnesses of Violent Crime, as well as specific provisions mandated by the states Penal Code and other legislative acts. Also reviewed are the victim-related programs of two major criminal justice agencies. The Illinois Attorney Generals Office and the Cook County States Attorneys Office.

Criminal justice in Israel: A research note

Abstract In recent years there has been a steady rise in crime in Israel, especially in the type of violent crime. This note describes the criminal justice system in Israel and analyzes some of the problems of law enforcement, courts, probation, and corrections in Israel.