Девиантность, преступность, социальный контроль в обществе постмодерна - [94]
• The cultural factor. Historical, political, and economic factors helped form Russian culture and mentality which is repressive and intolerant, with a tradition of violence. Russian proverbs attest to it, and popular tales reflect it.
• The juridical factor. Contemporary criminal legislation and practice of the police, the judiciary, and prisons are very strict and repressive, including use of mass torture. Violence gives rise to more violence.
Table 1.Detection of Crime (in %) in Russia (1992-2003)[503]
Source: Crime and Delinquency. Statistical Review. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF, MJ RF; State of Crime in Russia. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF.
Table 2. Dynamic of the rates (per 100 000 inhabitants) of General Crime in Russia (1985-2003)
Source: Crime and Delinquency. Statistical Review. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF, MJ RF; State of Crime in Russia. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF.
Table 3. Rate (per 100 000 inhabitants) of Serious Violent Crimes in Russia (1985-2003)
Source: Crime and Delinquency. Statistical Review. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF, MJ RF; State of Crime in Russia. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF.
Table 4. Rate (per 100 000 inhabitants) of Crimes Against Property in Russia (1985-2003)
Source: Crime and Delinquency. Statistical Review. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF, MJ RF; State of Crime in Russia. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF.
Drug abuse
The real situation of drug use and drug addicts is not known. The official data of drug-related crime is presented in tables 5. We can see that this rate increased from 8.6 in 1988 up to 167.3 in 2000 and decreased to 126.9 in 2003.
The official rate of drug and heavy substance users in Russia increased from 25.7 in 1985 up to 195.7 in 1998. The official rate of drug addicts increased from 1.3 in 1980 to 31.0 in 1997 (Human Development Report in the Russian Federation, 1999: 69). Most of offenders of drug-related crime (80-90 %) were convicted for actions without intention to sell (table 6). Consequently, the «war on drugs» is a «war on drugs users»… The Russian drug police is ineffective and there is extensive drug trafficking (Gilinskiy, Zazulin, 2001; Paoli, 2001).
Organized crime
There are too many definitions of organized crime (Abadinsky, 1994; Alba-nese, 1995; Arlacchi, 1986; and others). We will use the definition of organized crime as the functioning of stable, hierarchical associations, engaged in crime as a form of business, and setting up a system of protection against public control by means of corruption.
Organized crime is not only sum of criminal organizations. It is a complicated social phenomenon, which has an influence on the economy and the policy of states. The growth of the organizational aspect of crime is a natural, objective process; it is a manifestation of the growth of the organizational aspect of the social systems as well as of the sub-systems (the economy, politics, etc.). It is a global, world wide process.
Table 5.Rate (per 100.000 inhabitants) of Drug-Related Crimes in Russia (1990-2003)
Source: Crime and Delinquency. Statistical Review. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF, MJ RF. State of Crime in Russia. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF.
Table 6. Convicts for Drug-Related Crimes in Russia (1989-2001)
Source: Crime and Delinquency. Statistical Review. Annual. Moscow: MVD RF, MJ RF
Criminal business arises, exists and develops due to by certain conditions:
• Demand for illegal wares (drugs, arms, etc.) and services (sexual, etc.)
• Dissatisfied demand for legal wares and services (for example, total deficit in USSR)
• Unemployment and others sources of indigency as social basis of deviance, including criminality
• Defects in tax-policy, customs policy of state, etc.
The high degree of adaptability of criminal associations (resulting from their strict labor discipline, their careful selection of staff, the high profits, etc.) ensure their great vital capacity («Mafia is immortal!»). For example, the Russian criminal organizations recruit only the youngest, bravest, and the most enterprising persons.
Contemporary organized crime in Russia began during the 1970-1990 period; that was when some kind of contact was established and collaborations initiated between traditional white-collar criminals, corrupt part functionaries, and the criminals, including old «thieves-in-law»[504] and the new generation of «bandits» or «sportsmen». This new generation of bandits is made up of young men who were not in the criminal population during the Soviet regime, and, who at the collapse of the Soviet Union, joined some former KGB elements in organized crime and commiying all kinds of vices. Criminals of the new generation shoved energy, activity, and cruelty in deciding a conflict situation that has allowed it to quickly occupy a place under the sun in the criminal world. Contemporary organized crime is a result of this process of amalgamation of the old «thieves-in-law» and «tsekhoviki» (shady operators) with new «bandits» and corrupt representatives of power structures, oriented to the pursuit of heightened levels of illegal (or legal or semi-legal) profit.
