Justice Will Be Served

Book excerpt: Violent crime in New York City had grown too much for the state’s criminal justice system to follow through with death penalties bogged down by the appeals process. Often, prisoners convicted of first-degree murder were given cushiony jobs while waiting for their cases to be heard. Lower-court judges were especially frustrated when they noted that several repeated offenders were “back on the street.” And it was primarily out of frustration that a secret organization was formed. The Concerned Citizens Group (CCG) was composed of twelve New Yorkers whose prime purpose was to decrease the percentage of violent crimes. And the method that the CCG chose caused it to be targeted by the NYPD, the FBI, and the mafia. Over just eighteen months, the organization publicly announced—and carried out—the execution of prisoners convicted of murder in the first degree. However, when a crime boss was also executed, a $2.5 million reward was offered for the identity of CCG members. Does the reward work, or does it solidify the membership even more?