| ID | 087458 |
| Title Proper | What is a criminal organization and why does the law care |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Curry, Philip A ; Mongrain, Steeve |
| Publication | 2009. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The Criminal Codes in both Canada and the United States allow for criminals to be penalized to a greater degree if they are a member of an organization. We draw on the economic theory of punishment, which states that expected penalty should be proportional to the social harm caused, to put a different perspective on such regulations. According to the economic theory, additional punishments are desirable if either: (1) the social harm from a criminal act is greater for a member of an organization than for an independent criminal; or (2) the probability of conviction is lower. We examine the extent to which both of these possibilities are true and use the findings to revisit the definition of a criminal organization. |
| `In' analytical Note | Global Crime Vol. 10, No. 1-2; Feb-May 2009: p6-23 |
| Journal Source | Global Crime Vol. 10, No. 1-2; Feb-May 2009: p6-23 |
| Key Words | Crime ; Criminal Organisation ; Enforcement ; Market Power ; Canada ; United States |