Official Statistics and Assessment of the State of the Fight against Crime in 2012–2022

Abstract

Taking into account enormous importance of reliable initial criminological information for criminal policy, the paper examines the issue of reflecting an objective picture of the fight against crime in official statistics. Using the method of statistical analysis, the author examines: the number of registered crimes in Russia (2012–2022); reported cases of administrative offenses in courts of general jurisdiction (2012–2022); the number of convicts in Russia, the number of individuals with criminal history on record or with an outstanding conviction, their share in © Маслов В. А., 2024the total number of convicts, the structure and proportion of convicts in the context of committed crimes (2012– 2022); the number and proportion of convicted persons in correctional colonies for adults, depending on the age at the time of the crime, as well as taking into account the repetition of imprisonment (2012–2021); crimes of persons serving their sentences in educational colonies for minors (2012–2021). A number of the studied indicators are presented in the form of diagrams for clarity. Attention is paid to reducing the number of registered crimes while increasing appeals to the internal affairs bodies. The paper highlights as a matter of concern the fact of a consistently high proportion of grave and especially grave crimes in the crime structure, the fact of an increase in both short-term (up to 1 year) and long-term (over 10 years) terms of imprisonment of persons serving sentences in correctional colonies for adults. Attention is focused on the problems of a disproportionate decrease in the number of persons held in educational colonies for minors convicted of rape, an increase in the proportion of minors convicted of murder. In conclusion, the author provides a number of recommendations for the correct work with information relevant to the fight against crime, highlights the most important statistical trends, both positively and negatively characterizing the criminal situation in Russia.