Status of Knowledge in Different Countries. Status of Brazil (From Politiques de Prevention de la Delinquance. A l'Aune de la Recherche, P 29-42, 1991, Philippe Robert, ed. See NCJ-137844)

• NCJ Number: 137846
• Author(s): S Adorno
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 14 pages
• Sale Source: Editions L'Harmattan
• Publication Type: Presentation
• Language: French
• Country: France

Annotation

This speech on a survey of crime-related research in Brazil focuses on four major subjects: (1) crime growth, (2) offender profiles, (3) infrastructure of crime, and (4) public policy.

Abstract

First, studies of the evolution of urban crime indicate a rise in violent crime and in drug-related offenses. Second, offender profiles show that the majority of offenses are not committed by destitute criminals, but by low-paid urban workers who have a history of regular employment before turning to crime. Third, the crime structure in Brazil shows a trend toward organized crime in drug trafficking and gambling, increased participation of women and juveniles in crime organizations, and a growing confrontation between police and gangs in the poor suburbs. Fourth, research shows an unmistakable gulf between official criminal policy and the actual behavior of the police; because of this lack of communication, the officers often act on their own and become obstructors rather than enforcers of the law. The article includes three pages of bibliographical references.