Blackwell Reference Online

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As Hagan and Petersen observe, “Linkages between social inequality and crime have been subjects of speculation as well as some dispute since the early days of European … and American Criminology” (1995: 1). Such “speculation” and “dispute” persist, not only in criminology but also in adjacent academic fields. In part, this is because the problems of crime (commission and victimization) and of inequality are real-world problems attracting sustained attention from politicians and policy makers, commentators and media, interest groups across a wide spectrum (criminal justice agencies, victim support groups, prison reform advocacy organizations) and, of course, the general public.This chapter examines the prevalence and persistence of inequalities, in relation to crime, with particular reference to social structure (socioeconomic and cultural factors) and to the idea of citizenship. Surprisingly, the latter is a relatively neglected category in crime discussion. Surprising, on the one hand, because the phenomenon of the poor committing crimes against others that are poor represents a cycle of diminution of the ideal of citizenship for both parties - offender and victim. On the other hand, the convicted and/or incarcerated prisoner is (dependent upon the jurisdiction) one of the major categories of real exclusion from full entitlement to civil and citizenship rights. This raises fairly ... log in or subscribe to read full text