NCJ Number
81881
Journal
Canadian Slavonic Papers Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (1981) Pages: 77-87
Date Published
1981
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the relationship of internal migration in the Soviet Union to crime rates, with emphasis on crime in established urban areas, crime in newly developed areas, and criminological consequences of population migration.
Abstract
Soviet researchers have discovered a close correlation between migration and crime, and they anticipate further rises in crime rates with the continuing expansion of Soviet cities. Soviet scholars have concluded that the rise in crime is a result of migrants' difficulties in finding suitable housing and employment and in adjusting to their new impersonal surroundings without the familiar controls of their local communities. The legal controls restricting the movement of Soviet citizens have created different patterns of criminal behavior from those observed in other societies. All Soviet citizens must carry an internal passport which indicates their street address and city or town of residence. This address is the only place where they may legally reside. In the Soviet Union, the older, smaller cities in the Baltic area are experiencing a rise in crime because these localities are being deliberately expanded. In addition, the movement of large numbers of young men from rural areas to other regions of the country where labor is scarce has caused grave problems in the receiving areas. These problems have been compounded by 'parasites,' or socially undesirable citizens, to communities that cannot provide work for them. A total of 29 footnotes are included.