NCJ Number
99904
Date Published
1985
Length
256 pages
Annotation
Using data from three studies of Swedish property crime and drug law offenders, this book examines the identities, norms, and instrumental value of the criminal lifestyle.
Abstract
Analysis indicates that beating the system is a major concern of these offenders, and that they have developed strategies for manipulating police, social workers, and rehabilitative programs. They viewed crime as a kind of work and expressed entrepreneurial concerns with capitalization, market demand, and competition. They valued individualism highly, both in terms of taking responsibility for their lifestyle choice and in being free of the demands of conventional jobs and lifestyles which were viewed as boring. The lucrativeness of the criminal lifestyle was seen as a major motivating factor. Although most respondents characterized themselves as spendthrifts, most also felt that money was not or should not be that important. Additional aspects viewed as rewarding by these offenders were the exciting, adventurous, secretive, and independent nature of their illegal activities. Overall, the picture of the lifestyle of these offenders is one of resourcefulness, self-confidence, independence, and condescension toward rule-bound normative alternatives. Notes, an index, approximately 150 references, and 50 tables are provided.