Corporate Crime vs. Street Crime: More Damage, Less Punishment
Introduction
Two categories of violations that deserve special attention are corporate and street crimes. These kinds of offenses are different in many aspects based on facts like mass media coverage and uniform crime reporting, which are often not accurate (“Assignment 2,” 2023; “Criminal behavior,” 2023). As a result, misunderstandings about the severity of wrongdoings spread throughout society. Corporate crime (CC) is more detrimental to the United States (US) than street crime (SC), but punishment for the first type is less harsh than for the second one.
Damage of Corporate Crime vs. Street Crime
CC is worse than SC because it can likely cause greater damage while not getting much attention, with the offenders having the ability to get away with their wrongdoings. One can argue that CC can lead to damages at a huge scale that is typically neglected (“Assignment 3,” 2023). First, while several significant databases assess various crimes, no equivalent exists for CC (Kappeler & Potter, 2018). For example, Figure 1 below shows statistics for homicide rates for several past years (“Homicide rates,” 2023). However, there is no data on how many people have died due to CC, not because the numbers would be small but because CC is overlooked.
Second, CC is complex, with no apparent criminals, but is diverse in nature. For instance, it is difficult to determine who exactly should be charged for inappropriately marketed medicine that harms individuals taking it. Third, those committing CC view themselves as good citizens who make minor mistakes and are likely to have the power to avoid arrest and conviction (Kappeler & Potter, 2018). Therefore, CC is more dangerous than CS due to its effect on many people, but it is challenging to handle.
Frequency and Severity of Corporate Crime vs. Street Crime
Furthermore, punishment for CC and SC was compared in frequency and severity. On the one hand, CC causes economic loss and can also negatively impact health and take away lives, affecting countless families (“Assignment 3,” 2023; Kappeler & Potter, 2018). For example, when faulty ignition switches in General Motors’s automobiles led to multiple injuries and deaths, there were concerns that no one was arrested for defects that resulted in people dying (Kappeler & Potter, 2018). At the same time, the US tends to be harsh on lesser crimes, with prisons being filled with non-violent offenders (“Criminal behavior,” 2023; “Notes,” 2023).
On the other hand, while those charged with SC are likely to be incarcerated, CC can result in imprisonment or fines. Nonetheless, CC is often penalized with the second option, which is expected not to cost much for profitable companies. Moreover, large public firms typically settle accusations with agreements that allow for avoiding jail and trial (Kappeler & Potter, 2018). Consequently, the comparison between disciplinary methods for CC and SC shows that for CC, retribution is less frequent and harsh.
Conclusion
To summarize, while being punished to a smaller degree, corporate crime is more dangerous to the US than street crime. CC can cause substantial loss, both economically and in terms of lives, but its rates are not examined to determine its actual severity. Moreover, identifying who exactly is at fault for CC is difficult, and the offenders are likely to have the power to evade arrest and conviction. CC is also less punishable than SC because non-violent lawbreakers fill prisons, whereas companies are usually only fined. Therefore, there is a need to change how the legal system treats CC to ensure that major corporations do not endanger people.
References
Assignment 2: Reflection on “Crime waves, fears, and social reality” [Course Assignment]. (2023).
Assignment 3: Reflection on “Corporate crime and “higher immorality”” [Course Assignment]. (2023).
Criminal behavior: Common misperceptions [PowerPoint slides]. (2023).
Homicide rates and efficacy of programs [PowerPoint slides]. (2023).
Kappeler, V. E., & Potter, G. W. (2018). The mythology of crime and criminal justice (5th ed.). Waveland Press.
Notes of class (1) [Lecture notes]. (2023).