NCJ Number
84181
Date Published
Unknown
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Analysis of 1979 criminal convictions data in Cordoba, an industrial city in Argentina's interior, indicates that unskilled workers with unstable employment commit a high proportion of thefts and robberies.
Abstract
Cordoba, Argentina's first industrial city after the capital, has experienced rapid population growth without suitable planning. Approximately 15 percent of the city's 1 million inhabitants live in shanty towns and poorer districts with few public services. This impoverished strata is immersed in urban social disintegration with marginal jobs, broken families, limited access to social rights, and no participation in political-legal institutions. Children grow up with little education or socialization, often resorting to crime. Crimes against property were 52.5 percent of Argentina's total crime in 1979, and a significant proportion was committed by unskilled workers. This study analyzed 122 cases from 1979 convictions by the Cordoba courts, categorizing them into 7 socio-occupational levels of growing prestige. Of the total sample, 66 percent were convictions for theft and robbery, and manual workers comprised 79 percent of the individuals convicted. This group accounted for 85 percent of the thefts and robbery convictions and 68 percent of the other crimes. These findings demonstrate that marginal unskilled workers in an urban environment of social disintegration commit a high proportion of crime. Prevention strategies should focus on balancing inequities in urban services, redressing inadequate correctional programs, and providing services for ex-offenders. Tables and graphs are included. For related material, see NCJ 84180.