NCJ Number
87544
Date Published
1982
Length
154 pages
Annotation
Interviews with a sample of white-collar offenders to determine their perceptions of the nonlegal consequences of their convictions suggests that a greater use of work release followed by a relatively short probationary period may be the most appropriate sentence for white-collar offenders.
Abstract
A total of 30 white-collar offenders were interviewed along with 22 probation officers and 10 other court officials. The collateral disabilities examined in the interviews included loss of standing in the business community, collapses of family and friendship networks, and the experiencing of anxiety, depression, and self-depreciation. The subjects generally perceived the functionaries of the justice system in different modes, with the prosecutor being an accuser, the judge an arbitrator, and the probation officer a listener-helper. Although subjects expressed great anxiety at the prospect of imprisonment, they adjusted to their surroundings satisfactorily. Subjects were most concerned about being labelled criminals, but they resisted labeling themselves as such. Generally, the offender's family and friends did not reject or ostracize him as a result of the offense. Professionals were more likely than businessmen to experience change in their occupational situations; however, even the professionals appeared to recover much of their former status within a relatively short time. The offenders appeared to adjust rather easily to a work release structure where they are incarcerated for regular periods but still permitted to pursue an occupational life in the community. Because probation officers were experienced as helpful and supportive, probation appears to be an important rehabilitative mechanism. Appended are the letter of introduction to potential interviewees and listings of conditions of parole and probation. Ninety-five references are provided.