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Traffic management and collision investigation
Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol. 11, pp. 473-478 Pergamon Press, Printed in U.S.A.
(1983) Copyright
CURRENT PUBLICATIONS
0047-2352/83 $3.00 + .oO 0 1983 Pergamon Press Ltd.
ABSTRACTS
Olga S. Burn
the varying expectations that exist about the proper behavior of that type, and conclude with a description of the actual role behavior. An analysis that differentiates each type of criminal justice personnel from the others and a summary are included in each of the chapters. A final chapter summarizes trends for the future. An index is included. (OSB)
Participants in American Criminal Justice: The Promise and the Performance by Clem-
ens Bartollas, Wice.
Stuart J. Miller, and Paul B.
Prentice-Hall, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632), 1983, 380 pp., hardcover$22.95. This volume complements the traditional legalistic, philosophical, historical, and systems approach by presenting a behavioral approach to the study of criminal justice. The book is about the roles and knowledge of justice personnel-law enforcement, court and corrections personnel, and offenders and victims. An introductory section describes the scope of the book and the formal system of justice defendants might follow from arrest to release. Four additional units deal with the so-called actors in the criminal justice system: (1) law enforcement officials-the chief of police, the sheriff, the detective, and police officer on the job and the pressures of policing, (2) court personnel--the judge, the prosecutor, the defense attorney, and the bail bondsman, (3) corrections personnel--the probation and parole officers, warden, correctional officer, correctional counselor, youth supervisor, and social worker in a juvenile institution, and (4) offenders and victimspersons for and against whom the system operates. The chapters begin with a discussion of the formal role expectation for each type of personnel, move to a description of
Traffic Management and Collision Investigation by Warren E. Clark.
Prentice-Hall, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632), 1982, 332 pp., hardcover$17.95. An introductory publication, as well as a source document, this volume, in 16 chapters, presents material relevant to traffic management. The book opens with an historical overview that focuses on the physical organization of society, the growth of transportation philosophies, twentiethcentury transportation, and the scope of traffic problems. This is directly followed by a chapter on basic definitions and collision classification terms. Managing the collision scene, conducting a collision investigation, and prevalent collision factors are presented in the next three chapters. Presentation of material on driving while intoxicated and psychological and physiological human factors are next. The chapter on collision reconstruction provides a composite picture of mathematical and relevant information
473
474
CURRENT
PUBLICATIONS
needed to conduct such an investigation, and a later chapter develops further insights into this area by focusing on such matters as how skid mark formulas are derived from Newton’s Second Law of Motion and the Pythagorean Theorem. Further chapters give information about traffic supervision, management of unusual collisions, traffic enforcement techniques, and specialization in traffic management. A final chapter includes projects for classroom use. Four appendices present tables for squares and square roots, comparison of metric and inches and feet measurements, kilometers and miles per hour. A bibliography and index complete the book. (OSB)
Making Jury Instructions Understandable by Amiram Elwork, Bruce D. Sales, and James J. Alfini. The Michie Company (Post Office Box 7587, Charlottesville, Virginia 22906-7587), 1982, 396 pp., hardcover-$35. This book is about writing comprehensible instructions for a jury. Long a dilemma in the legal realm, failure of juries to carry out their legal obligation because of their lack of understanding of the law and their inability to understand the instructions given them by the judge sometimes results in miscarriage of justice. To enable development of more comprehensible instructions, the authors developed a complete manual. Divided into two parts, each serves a different function. Part I provides background information that supports the need for and effectiveness of the recommended assessment and rewriting techniques. Part II presents all of the information needed actually to carry out these techniques. Although it is recommended that the entire volume be read, portions can be used selectively. Part I contains three chapters. Along with an historical overview, and discussion of problems in presenting and writing jury instructions (Chapter l), this part contains a chapter on how the present approach to the problems was chosen and developed, as well as a chapter on whether the methodology
ABSTRACTS
works. This information provides a better understanding of and appreciation for the techniques described in Part II. Four chapters make up the second part: an orientation to the suggested methodology, how to get started, how to assess already written jury instructions and how to rewrite them. Three appendices provide additional information in the form of questionnaires, rewritten instructions, and computer programs. Minor modifications will make the material usable for numerous practitioners. An index is given. (OSB)
The Police Feeney.
and Pretrial
Release
by Floyd
Lexington Books (D.C. Heath and pany, 125 Spring Street, Lexington, sachusetts 02173), 1982, 211 pp., cover-$22.95.
ComMashard-
misdemeanor Police citations for offenses-summonses issued by police that enable the prompt release of arrested persons in certain classes of cases as soon as possible after arrest and that require subsequent appearance of the arrestee-is an important part of the bail reform movement. Little attention has been paid to misdemeanor cases, because individual detention times are low although the total number of individuals involved, as well as the total detention time, is large. Thus, cases are disposed before an investigation into whether the defendent will appear can occur. The feasibility of using the station-house releases for misdemeanants was initiated in the 1964 Manhattan Summons Project, and a number of studies since have suggested increasing the use of police citations. This volume is an authoritative source for establishing and managing police release procedures. Divided into three parts, it contains 19 chapters, three appendices, and a number of figures and tables. Part I provides an historical overview of the topic of police citations for misdemeanor offenses-current use of citations, historical extent of use, results and development, benefits of use, and the legal framework.
(1983) Copyright
CURRENT PUBLICATIONS
0047-2352/83 $3.00 + .oO 0 1983 Pergamon Press Ltd.
ABSTRACTS
Olga S. Burn
the varying expectations that exist about the proper behavior of that type, and conclude with a description of the actual role behavior. An analysis that differentiates each type of criminal justice personnel from the others and a summary are included in each of the chapters. A final chapter summarizes trends for the future. An index is included. (OSB)
Participants in American Criminal Justice: The Promise and the Performance by Clem-
ens Bartollas, Wice.
Stuart J. Miller, and Paul B.
Prentice-Hall, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632), 1983, 380 pp., hardcover$22.95. This volume complements the traditional legalistic, philosophical, historical, and systems approach by presenting a behavioral approach to the study of criminal justice. The book is about the roles and knowledge of justice personnel-law enforcement, court and corrections personnel, and offenders and victims. An introductory section describes the scope of the book and the formal system of justice defendants might follow from arrest to release. Four additional units deal with the so-called actors in the criminal justice system: (1) law enforcement officials-the chief of police, the sheriff, the detective, and police officer on the job and the pressures of policing, (2) court personnel--the judge, the prosecutor, the defense attorney, and the bail bondsman, (3) corrections personnel--the probation and parole officers, warden, correctional officer, correctional counselor, youth supervisor, and social worker in a juvenile institution, and (4) offenders and victimspersons for and against whom the system operates. The chapters begin with a discussion of the formal role expectation for each type of personnel, move to a description of
Traffic Management and Collision Investigation by Warren E. Clark.
Prentice-Hall, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632), 1982, 332 pp., hardcover$17.95. An introductory publication, as well as a source document, this volume, in 16 chapters, presents material relevant to traffic management. The book opens with an historical overview that focuses on the physical organization of society, the growth of transportation philosophies, twentiethcentury transportation, and the scope of traffic problems. This is directly followed by a chapter on basic definitions and collision classification terms. Managing the collision scene, conducting a collision investigation, and prevalent collision factors are presented in the next three chapters. Presentation of material on driving while intoxicated and psychological and physiological human factors are next. The chapter on collision reconstruction provides a composite picture of mathematical and relevant information
473
474
CURRENT
PUBLICATIONS
needed to conduct such an investigation, and a later chapter develops further insights into this area by focusing on such matters as how skid mark formulas are derived from Newton’s Second Law of Motion and the Pythagorean Theorem. Further chapters give information about traffic supervision, management of unusual collisions, traffic enforcement techniques, and specialization in traffic management. A final chapter includes projects for classroom use. Four appendices present tables for squares and square roots, comparison of metric and inches and feet measurements, kilometers and miles per hour. A bibliography and index complete the book. (OSB)
Making Jury Instructions Understandable by Amiram Elwork, Bruce D. Sales, and James J. Alfini. The Michie Company (Post Office Box 7587, Charlottesville, Virginia 22906-7587), 1982, 396 pp., hardcover-$35. This book is about writing comprehensible instructions for a jury. Long a dilemma in the legal realm, failure of juries to carry out their legal obligation because of their lack of understanding of the law and their inability to understand the instructions given them by the judge sometimes results in miscarriage of justice. To enable development of more comprehensible instructions, the authors developed a complete manual. Divided into two parts, each serves a different function. Part I provides background information that supports the need for and effectiveness of the recommended assessment and rewriting techniques. Part II presents all of the information needed actually to carry out these techniques. Although it is recommended that the entire volume be read, portions can be used selectively. Part I contains three chapters. Along with an historical overview, and discussion of problems in presenting and writing jury instructions (Chapter l), this part contains a chapter on how the present approach to the problems was chosen and developed, as well as a chapter on whether the methodology
ABSTRACTS
works. This information provides a better understanding of and appreciation for the techniques described in Part II. Four chapters make up the second part: an orientation to the suggested methodology, how to get started, how to assess already written jury instructions and how to rewrite them. Three appendices provide additional information in the form of questionnaires, rewritten instructions, and computer programs. Minor modifications will make the material usable for numerous practitioners. An index is given. (OSB)
The Police Feeney.
and Pretrial
Release
by Floyd
Lexington Books (D.C. Heath and pany, 125 Spring Street, Lexington, sachusetts 02173), 1982, 211 pp., cover-$22.95.
ComMashard-
misdemeanor Police citations for offenses-summonses issued by police that enable the prompt release of arrested persons in certain classes of cases as soon as possible after arrest and that require subsequent appearance of the arrestee-is an important part of the bail reform movement. Little attention has been paid to misdemeanor cases, because individual detention times are low although the total number of individuals involved, as well as the total detention time, is large. Thus, cases are disposed before an investigation into whether the defendent will appear can occur. The feasibility of using the station-house releases for misdemeanants was initiated in the 1964 Manhattan Summons Project, and a number of studies since have suggested increasing the use of police citations. This volume is an authoritative source for establishing and managing police release procedures. Divided into three parts, it contains 19 chapters, three appendices, and a number of figures and tables. Part I provides an historical overview of the topic of police citations for misdemeanor offenses-current use of citations, historical extent of use, results and development, benefits of use, and the legal framework.