What has caused the reduction in crime rates? Two articles.

Violent crime is apparently at a 40-year low. Colleagues forwarded some links to articles about the reduced crime http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifratehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs. "Could Lead Abatement Reduce Social Problems," by Ed Drayton, starts off: "The amount of violent crime in the United States dropped significantly last year, to the lowest rates in 40 years. Kevin Drum argues that it may be due to successful lead abatement efforts." As pointed out by my colleague, this may be a basis for mitigation arguments if your client was exposed to lead as a child.

A Wall Street Journal article, "Hard Times, Fewer Crimes," also mentions lead abatement as a potential factor in the decrease in crime, though it also looks at other possible causes, including economic changes, longer imprisonment, and cultural changes.