Government officials have resolved to carry out major changes in the U.S. welfare system, changes that may affect the incidence of homicide. This study examined the issue of whether welfare aid to the poor has served a criminal justice policy function of limiting the frequency of lethal violence. Multiple regression procedures were employed to test for possible relationships between welfare assistance and homicide rates among all U.S. large metropolitan counties (N = 437). Controlling for indices of resource deprivation, population structure, and several other economic and social variables, higher levels of welfare assistance were found to be associated with lower homicide rates. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.
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