Mathematical Problems in Engineering
Volume 4 (1999), Issue 6, Pages 489-504
doi:10.1155/S1024123X98000933

A dynamic model for crime control and policy evaluation

N. U. Ahmed and M. A. Rahim

Department of Electrical Engineering and Department of Mathematics, University of Ottawa, 161 rue Louis-Pastuer, P.O. Box 450 Succ A, Ottawa K1N6N5, Ontario, Canada

Received 5 June 1998; Revised 10 August 1998

Copyright © 1999 N. U. Ahmed and M. A. Rahim. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The paper is concerned with the development of a rigorous mathematical model describing the dynamics of criminal population subject to sentencing policies of any penal (legal) system. The model enables evaluation of the impact of preventive measures used in the society and correctional measures used by the penitentiaries. A performance index reflecting the effectiveness of such measures and the cost to the society for providing the same is introduced and the question of optimality discussed.