Cousins in Crime: Mobility, Place and Belonging in Indigenous Youth Co-Offending

• NCJ Number: 245001
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology Volume: 53 Issue: 6 Dated: November 2013 Pages: 1157-1177
• Author(s): Andrew Goldsmith; Mark Halsey
• Date Published: November 2013
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research); Interview
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This paper examines serious repeat offending among a group of young Indigenous Australians.

Abstract

This paper examines serious repeat offending among a cohort of young Indigenous Australians dubbed the 'Gang of 49'. Drawing chiefly on interviews, the authors explore the importance of mobility, place, belonging and alcohol in shaping the resilience and notoriety of this group over the past decade. The authors consider the broader significance of ethnic and familial ties in offenders' lives, and explicate the complex ways in which these ties contribute overwhelmingly to offender convergence for the commission of crime but only very rarely to occasions for offender divergence from crime. In concluding, the authors argue that the nature of co-offending among this group is rhizomatic and thereby demands a very different law enforcement (and political) response than has pertained to date. (Published Abstract)