NCJ Number
167898
Journal
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Dated: (1996) Pages: 40-50
Date Published
1996
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Central and Eastern European countries are discussed with respect to their common histories, their political and economic transitions during the late 1980's and early 1990's, and crime trends and patterns in recent years.
Abstract
These countries share a history of an authoritarian official ideology that was reflected in criminal law and criminal justice system policies. The transitions of recent years made it possible for different countries to develop differently. However, the countries all experienced widespread drops in income, social insecurity, and uncertainty about the future. The crime statistics suggest sharp increases in total reported crime. Nevertheless, part of this increase may result from the artificially low level of crime noted in the statistics before the transition and from an increased willingness to report crime. The statistics reveal no major change in the structure of crime. However, changes may well be occurring in unreported crime and in the characteristics of traditional offenses, particularly with respect to increased violence; increased professionalization of crime; and more economic crime, corruption, and organized crime. Organized crime may take control over large sectors of the economy and even political structures if its increase is not stopped now. Tables and 1 reference