Although crime has declined in the recent years, the US still has a significantly higher rate of crime than other Western developed countries. More specifically, the U.S. has a much higher rate of violence in the form of homicide compared to European countries, whom have higher levels of theft and property crime. Even though violent crime has declined, little of it has to do with the government policies such as "tough on crime" laws that incarcerate more people for longer. The evidence is that many states or cities that did not implement these changes also experienced declines in crime. This suggests that the decline has to do with the economy, drugs and demographics. The Criminal Justice System works to the advantage of the wealthy, while functioning in such a way that the poor are more likely to be arrested, then charged and if convicted, more likely to be sentenced to longer prison sentences than members of middle and upper classes. By the Conflict paradigm, this system is in the interests of the ruling class, providing state coercive force to repress the class struggle and to legitimize the use of this force. While both blacks and whites admit to similar amounts and types of crimes, it is usually the poor who are most likely to be arrested and have a criminal record. This is due to the fact that police will mainly investigate and arrest those who have the least authority or those who will draw the least attention to police practices. These are most likely the people in the lowest social and economic classes. According to the Conflict hypothesis, the kinds of crime the lower class don't have the opportunity to commit, are the crimes the criminal justice system do not treat as criminal, but civil offences, making the middle and upper classes less likely to be arrested. But the fact is that white-collar crime, such as embezzlement, is much more costly than street crimes and when they are prosecuted and convicted, the sentences are light.
