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Voice of Crime

NCJ Number
158298
Journal
Social Policy Journal of New Zealand Issue: 3 Dated: (December 1994) Pages: 107-120
Author(s)
J Leibrich
Date Published
1994
Length
14 pages
Annotation
A random sample of 48 men and women in New Zealand who committed a variety of offenses but who had been conviction-free for about 3 years was studied to investigate the career path of criminals.
Abstract
Subjects were interviewed in their homes for an average of 2 hours, and interview transcripts were analyzed. The average age at the time of interview was 32 years. The average age at which they had first been convicted was 22 years, but many had been in trouble at a much younger age. Subjects had moderately serious involvement in crime, with an average of five convictions covering a wide range of offenses. Study results revealed that, 3 years after their last conviction, 37 of the 48 individuals (77 percent) said they no longer committed the offense for which they received supervision; 11 of the 48 individuals (23 percent) said they were still committing the offense for which they received supervision or were committing an offense at least as serious. The most common offense people said they also committed was smoking marijuana. Although some people said their offending stopped right after the last conviction, most said their offending tapered off during the past 3 years. About half reported some degree of ongoing offending, but most saw themselves as "straight." Implications of the findings for social and criminal justice programs are discussed. 19 references and 13 footnotes