Part 4: Investigation of the Relationships Between Criminal Justice Variables and Other Socioeconomic Variables: The Case of the Federal Republic of Germany (From Crimes and Punishments: A Comparative Study of Temporal Variations, P 138-207, Soumyo D Moitra -- See NCJ-116167)

• NCJ Number: 116171
• Author(s): S D Moitra
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 70 pages
• Sale Source: Max-Planck-Institute Fur Auslandisches und Internationales Strafrecht
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

Longitudinal data on crime rates, imprisonment rates, and selected socioeconomic variables in the Federal Republic of Germany formed the basis of an analysis of the factors associated with trends and changes in the rate of imprisonment.

Abstract

The research used data from the early 1950's to the early 1980's and considered both total crimes and specific types of crimes. Results showed a similar and increasing trend in both indicators of affluence and rates of property crimes. Unemployment and fraud also appeared to be related. Fraud rose one year after unemployment declined, suggesting increased fraud in the workplace. Fraud also rose three years after unemployment rose, suggesting that the chronically unemployed resorted to fraud. The German data also suggested a positive relationship between crime and imprisonment for the serious crimes of homicide, robbery, aggravated assault, and fraud, while imprisonment was negatively correlated with the minor crimes of burglary and larceny. Data from West Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, and California also suggested that imprisonment had neither criminogenic nor deterrence effects. Findings provide little guidance for further policy development. Tables, figures, and appended discussion of explanatory models.