Community stakeholders' perceptions of crime and victimization: A mixed-methods approach to understanding collective efficacy and social cohesion in the rural heartland

Previous criminological literature has mostly neglected rural communities, often treating these places as smaller pieces of urban culture. Literature suggests rural communities operate differently than urban neighborhoods, with distinctive values, norms, and community cohesion. For example, concepts surrounding collective efficacy may work counterproductively in rural areas—further exploiting outed community members within "close-knit" environments. The current study sought to compare perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion, crime, and victimization between rural and urban counties across one Midwestern rural state. Using a mixed-methods approach, community stakeholders from a variety of professions were surveyed. Quantitative results suggest similar perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion in rural and urban communities while qualitative responses paint a much different picture—an image of rural communities "minding their own business" and both formally and informally intervening only in the most extreme and personalized scenarios.

Exploring the farming and waste disposal nexus in the UK: Towards a typology of 'Environmental Criminals'

The farming Industry and rural locations are increasingly being targeted by predatory environmental criminals but as will be demonstrated there is also an insider element to environmental crimes. Such criminal activities pose an environmental challenge and require creative solutions. Indeed, the notion of the farmer as an environmental criminal is a contentious addition to the typology of rural criminals. Traditionally, environmental crime was an overlooked and under researched category of criminology, primarily because 'farmers' as a genre were treated with an elevated level of societal respect in line with their 'idyllic' portrayal. They do not fit accepted social constructs and stereotypes of the urban based criminal fraternity. Consequentially, we heard little of the stereotype of the 'bad' farmer. Recent years have seen a rise in public interest and concern relating to ethical aspects of farming leading to a raising of public awareness. Farmers are no longer immune from criticism, nor prosecution. Using documentary research methods this study reports on several high-profile cases at the nexus and reveals an updated typology of rural environmental crimes and criminals.

A Preliminary Assessment of Rural Corruption in China

Rural-related corruption in China manifests itself differently in terms of different forms and intensity over time. The preliminary findings indicate that rural-related corruption in China is a particular type of white-collar crime. It embraces a mixed dimension of political crime, economic crime, corporate crime, environmental crime, and crimes within social control systems, such as the police. The time series analysis demonstrates an increase of diversity and intensity of this corruption. It also shows that rural corruption is dynamic and its dynamics have evolved significantly over time. An analysis of the historical context identifies three distinctive stages of rural-related corruption (1995-2007; 2008-2012, and 2013-2017), from acknowledgement of the issue, to issue outbreak, to a "rampant" stage, all with consistent determinants and explanations. Evidence shows that Chinese national land use policy is among the leading explanations of rural corruption. The majority of other types of rural corruption also are rooted in land-related issues. The causes of corruption in rural China have both institutional and individual behavioral explanations, which distinguishes them from the explanations of general corruption. General criminological explanations of corruption must be modified to fit a rural context and the unique histories of particular society, which in this case, is China.

A Review of Dreamland: The true tale of America's opiate epidemic by Sam Quinones

No abstract available.

Review of Jacked Up and Unjust: Pacific Islander Teens Confront Violent Legacies, by Katherine Irwin and Karen Umemoto

No abstract available.

'Finding beauty' in French rural prisons. How prison officers operate rurality

The literature on rural criminology and rural prisons has so far essentially focused on debunking myths about rurality and rural crimes, and on the economic and social impacts of building prisons in rural areas. Typically, such rural prisons are recent. Conversely, due to its long history, France's rural prisons have in some cases been built during the 19th century within former convents from the Middle Ages or monasteries confiscated from the church during the 1789 Revolution. Missing from this literature, therefore, is, on the one hand, a focus on historic rural prison settings and, on the other hand, attention to individuals and professionals who work there. This paper focuses on a high security prison set in a middle-ages abbey in the middle of nature. In our interviews with its prison officers (POs) we used appreciative inquiry in order to better uncover the positive dimensions of rurality. We find that rurality is used to reinforce safety and the 'right distance' with prisoners, and to better cut off from the prison environment when they finish their shift. We also find that POs are bound by strong (rural) family ties that in turn contribute to their professional identity and values, and to their feelings of safety.

Review of the Routledge International Handbook of Rural Criminology, Joseph F. Donnermeyer (Editor)

No abstract available.

Policing the Poachers in a Western State: Game Wardens and the Use of Discretion

Game wardens are specialized law enforcement officers responsible for enforcing hunting and fishing laws designed to protect wildlife resources. While performing their duties they encounter a variety of wrongdoers that range from first time offenders to those who are chronic violators of the law. Little research exists on the use of discretion by wildlife law enforcement officers, or their attitudes toward offenders. This study took a qualitative approach to data collection and examined the use of discretion by game wardens in Montana and their perceptions of habitual poachers. Factors that were associated with the use of discretion included intent of the violator, seriousness of the offense, and age of the violator. The majority of wardens in the study expressed negative opinions toward violators that were chronic offenders. Findings contribute to our understanding of law enforcement attitudes and decision making.

Routine Activity Theory and Farm Equipment Theft: A Macro-Level Approach

Though a handful of studies have explored the relationship between farm characteristics and theft of farm equipment, all have been focused at the micro level. Put differently, they have sought to determine whether a relationship exists between likelihood of theft victimization and the characteristics (e.g., size, location) of individual farming operations. The current study builds upon this work by seeking to determine whether county-level factors (in line with the routine activity theory framework) serve to influence the incidence of farm equipment theft within counties. Data are derived from the National Incident-Based Reporting System, the Census of Agriculture and the United States Census of the Population. Results are on the whole supportive of the theory's application to the problem and suggest that macro-level investigations constitute a worthwhile approach to better understanding agricultural victimization.

Restrictive deterrence: Avoiding arrest in rural methamphetamine markets

A component of restrictive deterrence, arrest avoidance is the notion that offenders employ specific strategies to evade detection. Although research focuses on the tactics drug dealers use to avoid law enforcement detection in crack, heroin, and marijuana markets in urban locations, no studies explore these techniques in rural settings or methamphetamine markets. Based on interviews with 52 men and women involved in methamphetamine markets, this article explores the arrest avoidance strategies used during ingredient acquisition, manufacturing, and distribution of methamphetamine. This study also expands the restrictive deterrence literature by asking each participant if they experienced a methamphetamine related arrest and how their arrest avoidance strategies related to their arrests. When participants were arrested, they revealed that they were sometimes not using any strategies or that some unique situation (i.e. getting set up by a friend) was the reason for their arrest rather than ineffective avoidance tactics.