Crime Statistics Measuring crime, including property crimes and violent crimes, can be challenging

Measuring crime, including property crimes and violent crimes, can be challenging for many reasons.  Like stated, often a single source is not enough to provide a comprehensive picture, and that is because of the lack of evidence. In some cases, crimes are solved by it's witnesses, yet when they take the evidence to police enforcement, not much is done. Although a witness may know deep down in their gut that they have solved the case or they have found the answers to a crime, police enforcement may not charge the assumed convicts or take action due to the lack of evidence. Some examples of factors that could possibly affect the accuracy of statistics on the incidence of crime would be racial or ethnic backgrounds, age, gender, prevalent family structures and/or educational levels. Researchers can overcome such problems to gain an accurate picture by asking directly the alleged victims in these types of situations their understandings of the overall situation, as well as how they feel about how things concluded as well. 

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world for many reasons. Putting more people per capita behind bars, has become almost normal here in the U.S. There are many factors that have led to such high rates of formal social control including harsh drug laws, and certain bail policies that criminalize poverty. Other reasons include the fact that there is a lack of investment in schools and economic opportunity for people. Something that most people don't realize is that incarceration rates strongly get affected when people are denied to employment because of discrimination. When people are denied employment due to any type of discrimination, it'll rage their anger and make them go work but in an unlawful way. Financial issues is something nobody wants to go through, so trying to get quick and easy money is the path they take. Selling drugs is just one example of the hundreds of examples that further leads them to incarceration, but it all started with being denied unemployment. Programs such as mandatory minimum sentences and "three strikes" laws are likely to lower crime rates, because it is a form of punishment that'll shape the convicts behaviors. Racial, ethnic, class and gendered implications of this nations strict sentencing norms are that some may base a convicts sentencing due to their racial background, which is 100% unfair. Everyone should be treated equally by the court system.