Charles Eliot Silberman (January 31, 1925 – February 5, 2011) was an American journalist and author. Silberman was born in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

. After service in the Pacific during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he gained a B.A. in Economics from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1946 and also undertook graduate studies at Columbia. Subsequently, he taught at Columbia and City College of New York before joining '' Fortune'' magazine in 1953 where he remained until the early 1970s. He was the author of ''Criminal Violence, Criminal Justice'' (1978), a study of crime and the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

criminal justice system Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...

. Silberman used econometric methods to measure the effectiveness in terms of criminal

deterrence Deterrence may refer to: * Deterrence theory, a theory of war, especially regarding nuclear weapons * Deterrence (penology), a theory of justice * Deterrence (psychology) Deterrence in relation to criminal offending is the idea or theory that t ...

of two factors: the degree of punishment; and the probability of apprehension. A simple "expected loss" model would predict that deterrent effect would depend only on the result of multiplying the penalty by the probability of it occurring. Silberman concluded that contrary to this model, the likelihood of punishment had a greater effect in most situations. Silberman also stated, "Crime does more than expose the weakness in

social relationships A social relation or also described as a social interaction or social experience is the fundamental unit of analysis within the social sciences, and describes any voluntary or involuntary interpersonal relationship between two or more individuals ...

; it undermines the

social order The term social order can be used in two senses: In the first sense, it refers to a particular system of social structures and institutions. Examples are the ancient, the feudal, and the capitalist social order. In the second sense, social order ...

itself, by destroying the assumptions on which it is based." Silberman's book ''Crisis in the Classroom: The Remaking of American Education'' is regarded as one of the leading investigations into and critiques of the performance of the American educational system and has been praised for its scope and insight. He was also the author of ''Crisis in Black and White'' and ''A Certain People: American Jews and Their Lives Today''. Silberman died on February 5, 2011, in

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

, aged 86. He had four sons and seven grandchildren.

Awards

* 1966 Gerald Loeb Award for Magazines for "Technology and the Labor Market"

References

1925 births 2011 deaths Columbia College (New York) alumni American male journalists Journalists from New York City Journalists from Iowa Writers from Des Moines, Iowa Gerald Loeb Award winners for Magazines American military personnel of World War II {{US-academic-bio-stub