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Paradoxical Impact of Criminal Sanctions - Some Microstructural Findings

NCJ Number
95098
Journal
Law and Society Review Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: (1984) Pages: 159-178
Author(s)
S Ekland-Olson; J Lieb; L Zurcher
Date Published
1984
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Field data from a longitudinal study of drug dealing reveal the importance of interpersonal networks in determining the impact of criminal sanctions.
Abstract
The level of perceived sanction severity was in large measure dependent on the degree of disruption created in interpersonal relations and on the resilience of these relations in adapting to the sanctioning process. Perceived certainty of sanctions was likewise dependent on characteristics of interpersonal interactions. Perceived pertainty and severity of sanctions combined to define the level of fear. Sanction-induced fear increased network density and closure. These network properties were largely responsible for the paradoxical impact of sanctions. The relevance of these findings for deterrence research is noted throughout. (Publisher abstract)