NCJ Number
20468
Journal
CRITICA SOCIOLOGICA Issue: 38 Dated: (SUMMER 1976) Pages: 84-108
Date Published
1976
Length
25 pages
Annotation
ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIO-STRUCTURAL MOTIVATIONS FOR THE INCREASE AND TREND OF CRIME IN ITALY BASED ON CRIME AND PRISON STATISTICS FOR THE YEARS 1961-1971.
Abstract
THE DATA INDICATE AN OVERALL CRIME INCREASE OF 33.64 PERCENT, WITH HIGHER PERCENTAGES FOR PROPERTY (66 PERCENT) AND ECONOMIC (40 PERCENT) CRIMES, AND A VERY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN MINOR OFFESES (500 PERCENT). A SECOND SET OF DATA CONSIDERS THE TREND IN CRIME IN THE PERIOD 1971-1973, SHOWING AN OVERALL INCREASE OF 14 PERCENT WITH A MAXIMUM OF 18 PERCENT FOR PROPERTY OFFENSES. RESTATING THE THESIS THAT THE PHENOMENON OF CRIMINALITY MUST BE CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO ITS SOCIAL ROOTS, THE AUTHOR PRESENTS DATA ON THE SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRISON POPULATION FOR THE PERIOD 1960-1973, INDICATING THAT THE PRISON POPULATION INCREASES IN PERIODS OF ECONOMIC RECESSION, THAT THE MAJORITY BELONG TO THE LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STRATA, AND THAT THE LEVEL OF UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG PRISONERS IS HIGHER THAN THE OVERALL NATIONAL RATE. IT IS THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR THAT CRIME IS PRIMARILY A RESPONSE TO NEGATIVE SOCIAL CONDITIONS, THAT CURRENT CONTROL MECHANISMS, PREVENTIVE AS WELL AS REPRESSIVE, ARE INADEQUATE, THAT THE CRIME PHENOMENON CAN ONLY BE ADEQUATELY STUDIED IN RELATION TO THE STRUCTURE OF A SOCIOECONOMIC SYSTEM BASED ON PROFIT AND ON THE EXPLOITATION OF THE SUBORDINATE SOCIAL CLASSES. --IN ITALIAN