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Criminality and Social Control in a Medium Size Town of Central Italy: An Investigation of the Sentences of the Penal Court (1923-1985) and of the Court of Assizes (1952-1985) of Terni

NCJ Number
116202
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: (Winter 1988) Pages: 237-245
Author(s)
G V Giusti; M Bacci; A De Luca
Date Published
1988
Length
9 pages
Annotation
In recent years, governments, parliaments, politicians, and the mass media have deplored the ever growing rate of crime and violent behavior in their particular countries.
Abstract
This is also true for Italy, at least in the case of the larger cities and of the places in which organized crime prevails. In small and medium-sized provincial towns, however, it seems that crime is relatively rare. The authors attempted to investigate the crime rate and the nature of the crimes in just such a provincial town, Terni, and the mechanisms of social control, by examining the sentences of the local Penal Court from 1923 to 1985 and the sentences of the Court of Assize from 1952 to 1985. Sentences were analyzed by means of schedules in which the perpetrator and the victim of a crime, together with the time, place, mode, and circumstances of the crime were considered. Particular emphasis was given to crimes against the person, but minor crimes (for which a monocratic judge, called a 'pretore,' is competent) were not examined. Moreover, crimes committed by people under the age of 18 were not examined, for these crimes a special judicial office is competent. No extensive details can be given in such a short paper, but the full research will be published by the Italian Ministry of Justice. (Author abstract)

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