ECONOMIC CRISES AND CRIME - CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY, DEVIANCE AND THE CONTROL OF DEVIANCE

• NCJ Number: 35597
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 243 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-NI-99-0017
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United Nations

Annotation

THIS BOOK REPORTS ON RESEARCH EFFORTS WHICH EXPLORED A SERIES OF ISSUES RELATING TO THE CRIME-CONDUCIVE NATURE OF ECONOMIC CHANGES, PARTICULARLY DOWNTURNS.

Abstract

CONSIDERED FIRST IS A TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF THE ECONOMY ON CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, BASED ON DATA FROM THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, ENGLAND AND WALES, AND SCOTLAND FOR 1900-1975. ALSO INCLUDED ARE RESEARCH ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND CRIME RATES AND A RURAL CASE STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRONIC FOOD SHORTAGES, FAMINE CRISES, AND CRIME. A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY AS IT REFERS TO ECONOMIC DISTRESS-DEVIANCE LINKAGES PREFACES THE REPORT. IN IT THE AUTHOR SUMMARIZES THE PRINCIPAL FINDINGS OR HYPOTHESES DERIVED FROM THE RESEARCH AND DISCUSSES POLICY CONCLUSIONS. RESEARCH FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS: ECONOMIC GROWTH CORRELATES POSITIVELY WITH HIGHER RATES FOR MOST CATEGORIES OF REPORTED CRIME; DOWNTURNS ARE MARKED BY A SHARPER INCREASE OF MOST CATEGORIES OF REPORTED CRIME; THERE IS A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND CRIME JUVENILE DELINQUENCY; AND THE FLOW OF REFERRALS TO DEVIANCE-ORIENTED INSTITUTIONS RISES SHARPLY IN PERIODS ECONOMIC DISTRESS.