| Abstract: | The tenet that harsher penalties could substantially reducecrime rates rests on the assumption that currently active criminalsweigh the costs and benefits of their contemplated acts. Existingand proposed crime strategies exhibit this belief, as does alarge and growing segment of the crime literature. This studyexamines the premise that criminals make informed and calculateddecisions. The findings suggest that 76% of active criminalsand 89% of the most violent criminals either perceive no riskof apprehension or are incognizant of the likely punishmentsfor their crimes. |
