VALUE OF STOLEN GOODS AS DECISIVE FACTOR IN PROSECUTORIAL SCREENING - NETHERLANDS

• NCJ Number: 20397
• Journal: NEDERLANDS TIJDSCHRIFT VOOR CRIMINOLOGIE Dated: (OCTOBER 1974) Pages: 224-233
• Author(s): R W JONGMAN; G J SMALE; J DE JONG
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: J A Boom En Zoon
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

RESEARCH INTO THE CORRELATION OF VALUE OF STOLEN GOODS AND SOCIAL CLASS WITH REGARD TO JUVENILE THIEVES.

Abstract

DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM ARREST RECORDS OF 144 MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASS, AND 223 LOWER CLASS JUVENILE THIEVES. RESULTS INDICATE A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE VALUE OF STOLEN GOODS AND THE CHANCE OF PROSECUTION. THIS, HOWEVER, IS ONLY TRUE FOR JUVENILES FROM MIDDLE AND UPPER STRATA. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT JUVENILE THIEVES FROM LOWER STRATA STEAL GOODS OF HIGHER VALUE THAN THOSE FROM HIGHER STRATA. IN EARLIER RESEARCH, THE AUTHORS FOUND EVIDENCE THAT LOWER STRATA INDIVIDUALS RUN MORE RISK OF BEING PROSECUTED THAN THOSE IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER STRATA. THE PRESENT RESEARCH ELIMINATES TWO POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THIS. IN A DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH RESULTS, THE AUTHORS SUGGEST A PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION STUDY OF THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESS OF PUBLIC PROSECUTORS TO IDENTIFY THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THEIR DECISIONS. --IN DUTCH