Socially Bounded Decision Making of Persistent Property Offenders

• NCJ Number: 133530
• Date Published: 1991
• Author(s): N Shover; D Honaker
• Length: 27 pages
• Grant Number(s): 86-IJ-CX-0068
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

Data gathered from 60 Tennessee male prison inmates who were repeat property offenders formed the basis of an analysis of whether these offenders' decisionmaking processes regarding committing crimes fit the classical choice model in which decisions are assumed to be based largely on an assessment of the potential returns from courses of action and the risk of legal sanctions.

Abstract

The research also examined the influence of the lifestyles of these offenders in terms of the benefits and risks assessed in criminal decisionmaking. The data were gathered during 1987-88 through semi-structured ethnographic interviews. The inmates were all serving time for serious property crimes such as armed robbery, burglary, or theft. All had served previous prison or jail sentences. The most noteworthy aspect of their decisionmaking was that a majority gave little or no thought to the possibility of arrest and confinement. In addition, very few thought about or assessed legitimate alternatives before choosing to commit a crime. Many viewed life as a party with emphasis on enjoyment of good times and minimal concern for obligations and commitments outside the immediate social setting. Many committed crimes as part of this lifestyle or to restore enjoyment of it. 37 references and excerpts of interviews