NCJ Number
213866
Journal
European Journal of Criminology Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2006 Pages: 201-220
Date Published
April 2006
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study used a symbolic interactionist framework to examine how 41 incarcerated young offenders in Malta perceived their experiences with the police, the courts, and the prison as having influenced their involvement in crime.
Abstract
The findings show that these offenders viewed criminal justice interventions as an intrusion into their lives that had disrupted what they felt was the most beneficial lifestyle for them. They did not view themselves as trapped in an unwanted criminal career by circumstances over which they had no control. Rather they viewed their criminal career as a rational choice based on a cost-benefit analysis. The author concludes that commitment to criminality is not a passive process, but rather stems from an offender's assessment of circumstances distinctive to their lives. Involvement with the criminal justice system was viewed as a factor that made a criminal career an even more attractive option, since a criminal conviction is a strong detriment to being accepted in the legitimate, normative world of work and social interaction. The researcher elicited detailed, contextual biographical information from the men by prompting them to talk about key aspects of their lives in relation to involvement in crime. Based on an analysis of their stories, factors that contributed to the development of their criminal careers were identified. This research method is based in the tradition of symbolic interactionism, which is based in the subjective perceptions and decisions of individuals as they interact with the people, events, and opportunities that compose their lives. 38 references