NCJ Number
101407
Date Published
1984
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This British study used interviews with convicted burglars to determine the deterrent impact of legal sanctions and residential characteristics on the burglars' intent to commit offenses.
Abstract
A total of 128 burglars convicted of residential burglary in 1981 were involved in the study. They were selected from the files of a number of custodial institutions in southern England. Offenders were asked to indicate their concerns about getting caught and sentenced during their last period of offending. All offenders admitted at least one, and usually, many burglaries, which demonstrates they were not deterred by the threat of possible legal sanctions. Most did not believe they would be caught, and some accepted that prison was a risk of choosing to commit crime. A number expected only short sentences, which they did not mind serving since prison was a familiar environment. All were apparently willing to risk imprisonment for meager incomes from their burglary activities. To investigate the potential effectiveness of physical crime prevention measures, various segments of the sample were either interviewed or shown videotapes or photographs of residences to solicit comments on which residences would be selected as targets. Surveillability and occupancy were the most important situational cues influencing burglars' choice of targets. 26 references.