NCJ Number
54215
Date Published
1978
Length
62 pages
Annotation
INFORMATION REGARDING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN FINLAND DURING 1977 IS PRESENTED, PRIMARILY IN TABULAR FORM; STATISTICAL INFORMATION IS COMPARED WITH RATES FOR PREVIOUS YEARS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
Abstract
IN GENERAL, 1977 SHOWED LITTLE INCREASED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. RATES FOR SOME OFFENSE CATEGORIES EVEN DECREASED, I.E., ASSAULT. A FEW OFFENSE CATEGORIES SUCH AS ROBBERY, FRAUD, EMBEZZLEMENT, AND DRUNKEN DRIVING SHOWED AN INCREASE OF A FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS. THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES CONTINUED TO FALL. IN 1977 THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 112 CASES OF MURDER OR INTENTIONAL MANSLAUGHTER. DESPITE THIS LOW NUMBER, THE HOMICIDE RATE IN FINLAND IS HIGH WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES. TRAFFIC OFFENSES ACCOUNTED FOR OVER 50 PERCENT OF ALL OFFENSES REPORTED TO THE POLICE. ALMOST 20,000 CASES INVOLVED DRUNKEN DRIVING. A NEW LAW ON DRUNKEN DRIVING BECAME EFFECTIVE ON APRIL 1, 1977, AND THE NEW LEGAL DEFINITION OF THE OFFENSE AND INCREASED SURVEILLANCE PROBABLY EXPLAIN THE INCREASED FIGURES. DURING THE 1970'S, BETWEEN 7 AND 8 PERCENT OF ALL ACCUSED WERE WOMEN. THIS PROPORTION, OF COURSE, VARIED WITH TYPE OF OFFENSE. A LARGE NUMBER OF OFFENSES COMMITTED BY THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 WERE PROPERTY OFFENSES; OFFENDERS UNDER AGE 15 ARE NOT HELD CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE. THE RATE OF CLEARANCE OF OFFENSES IN FINLAND REMAINED FAIRLY STABLE IN 1977. APPROXIMATELY 90 PERCENT OF ALL THOSE CHARGED WITH OFFENSES WERE FINED; APPROXIMATELY 10 PERCENT WERE SENTENCED TO PRISON. THE MEDIAN LENGTH OF ALL IMPRISONMENT SENTENCES PASSED IN 1976 WAS 4.5 MONTHS. AT THE END OF 1977, THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 5,405 PRISONERS IN FINNISH PRISONS. THIS NUMBER IS SLIGHTLY BELOW THE 1975 THROUGH 1976 LEVEL. TABULAR STATISTICAL DATA ARE PROVIDED IN THE REPORT. AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LWM)