NCJ Number
153052
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1990) Pages: 39-59
Date Published
1990
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article critically reviews some current definitions of organized crime used in the U.S. and Australia.
Abstract
There are presently four main types of definition: Type 1 involves offering no formal definition, but defines organized crime by description; Type 2 involves a definition in terms of criminal act in relation to criminal actor; Type 3 defines primary in terms of the criminal; and Type 4 defines the criminal act in relation to the context of the crime. This article proposes that organized crime be defined as the field of transactions materially connected to markets in illegal goods and services. This definition would be applicable to any given social, historical, or political arrangement. It recognizes the human element -- attitudes, motivations, and decisions of individuals -- and opens the intellectual debate that closes when organized crime is assumed to be simply and exclusively an evil force in society. 106 notes