Mainstream positivistic criminology has recently been challenged by a sociological perspective which views crime as a social construction and attempts to account for the collective definition of categories of crime and deviance. The purpose of this paper is to present a sociohistorical analysis and interpretation of the construction of two specific and related criminal categories: “habitual offender” and “carreer criminal.” The analysis focuses on the broad historical development of these two categories and the symbolic functions they serve. The data show that similar social conditions in two different time periods led to the development of two similar legal categories. Furthermore, both categories are judged to have served important and similar symbolic and ideological functions.

From "habitual offenders" to "career criminals": The historical construction and development of criminal categories.

Selective incapacitation: A note on its impact on minorities

The Historical Construction and Development of Criminal

several important areas. Concurrent with these efforts, the state legislature enacted the Career Criminal Act' in 1977. This legislation appropriated approximately $6 million of general state funds to establish special career criminal prosecution units (CCP units) to prosecute these individuals who qualify as career criminals. This program continues to receive strong state support.2 More recently, in its continued effort to assist prosecutors and law enforcement agencies, the state legislature passed legislation establishing the California Career Apprehension program in eight jurisdictions.3 Modeled after LEAA's successful Integrated Career Apprehension program, this program provides approximately $2 million to local law enforcement agencies to help structure their decisionmaking and service-delivery activities in order to apprehend serious career offenders. Although this paper will focus on the results achieved by the CCP program, it is important to view this program in the context of the changing attitudes and policies occurring in California's criminal justice system. The State Office of Criminal Justice Planning (OCJP) is responsible for establishing and monitoring the CCP program. During the first year, twelve of the largest counties in the state developed CCP units. These twelve units are the subject of this article. Later, in 1978 and in 1979, another nine counties received LEAA funds to operate CCP units within their district attorney's offices. Together, approximately $4 million in state and federal funds were committed to the twenty-one project sites. These units are located in the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Ventura, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Yolo, Santa Barbara, Marin, Solano, Imperial, and Pla-

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Joel Phillips

Papers

The California Career Criminal Prosecution Program One Year Later