NCJ Number
14069
Date Published
1973
Length
192 pages
Annotation
THE LEARNING OF THE NECESSARY SKILLS AND THE SOCIAL AND TECHNICAL FACTORS WHICH AFFECT THE WORK HABITS OF CRIMINALS.
Abstract
THE DATA WAS DRAWN FROM INTERVIEWS WITH CANADIAN PAROLEES AND PRISON INMATES WHOM THE AUTHOR FELT REPRESENTED THE MORE SKILLED, EXPERIENCED, AND SUCCESSFUL CRIMINALS. BY LOOKING AT THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO COMMIT PROPERTY OFFENSES, SUCH AS SAFECRACKING AND BURGLARY, THIS DOCUMENT HELPS TO EXPLAIN VARIATIONS IN STATUS AND WORK SATISFACTION AMONG CRIMINALS. A COMPARISON OF LAY AND CRIMINAL PERSPECTIVES OF CRIME IS PRESENTED, ALONG WITH THE IDENTIFICATION OF CATEGORIES USED BY CRIMINALS IN THE ORGANIZATION OF CRIME. ALSO INCLUDED ARE COMMENTS ON PENAL CLASSIFICATION, CRIMINAL REPUTATION AND RECOGNITION, AND THE CRIMINAL AS A PRISONER. CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THE MECHANICAL AND SOCIAL SKILLS INVOLVED IN BURGLARY, SPECIFICALLY SAFECRACKING, WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AS A SURREPTITIOUS CRIME THAT AVOIDS DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH THE VICTIM. THE TECHNICAL DIMENSIONS OF ROBBERY, ESPECIALLY BANK ROBBERY, ARE ANALYZED TO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF AN OVERT CRIME, ONE WHICH INVOLVES VICTIM CONFRONTATION. DATA ON THE LEARNING OF TECHNICAL SKILLS SHOW THAT THIS LEARNING TAKES PLACE BY EXPERIMENT AND EXPERIENCE AND STARTS DURING PERIODS OF DELINQUENCY AND IN PRISON. COMMENTS ARE MADE ON THE PERCEPTUAL SKILLS WHICH ALLOW THE CRIMINAL TO RECOGNIZE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN A CONTEXT DELIBERATELY CONSTRUCTED TO CONCEAL SUCH OPPORTUNITIES. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND NOTES ON THE STUDY METHODOLOGY ARE INCLUDED. (SNI ABSTRACT)