Depth-interviewing Finnish professional criminals |
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Authors: | Mika Junninen |
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Institution: | 1.European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control,Helsinki,Finland |
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Abstract: | This article shows how easy and valuable is to interview offenders, when the information of crime or criminals life is needed.
There is no need to use just authorities information that is often very one sided and focused on solving single crime or personality
behind the committed crime. During this study I interviewed 15 persons and one group of 6 persons. The 21 interviewees represented
14 different groups active in the 1990s in Finland and cross-border criminality. The interviewed persons were selected for
equal representation of four different criminal backgrounds. The types of crimes that Finns typically commit across borders
(from abroad to Finland) include: (1) different kinds of smuggling (spirits, tobacco and drugs), (2) trafficking in prostitutes
and organising their work (procuring) in the country. From Finland to foreign countries, Finnish criminals primarily, (3)
handle stolen goods (fencing), (4) money laundering. The persons selected to be interviewed were still committing or had recently
committed these types of crimes. There are only a few empirical studies made on professional criminals. It is amazing how
similar the findings of these are, even though the three studies—British, American and the present—reflect different social
conditions and different decades. On occasion it feels that the place and time of study are irrelevant, as if you are reading
and analysing just one study. From the research point of view it is interesting how such similar findings are possible. None
of the 14 groups that I studied were able to fulfil the 14 variables of organised crime, that I required for a group to be
classified as an organised crime group.
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Keywords: | Thematic interviews Professional criminals Organised crime |
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