Chronic Offenders in China

Abstract

Using survey data from a sample of inmates in the city of Tianjin, this paper investigates the applicability of the concept of chronic offenders in China. Three general questions are addressed. First, in light of the historically low crime rates, is there an identifiable chronic offending group in Chinese society? Second, if there is such a group of chronic offenders, is this group characteristically violent? Third, does this group exhibit similar or different patterns of recidivism in comparison with other offenders? The results reveal a complex pattern. When attention focuses on violations that elicit severe sanctioning (court action), there is no evidence of a chronic offending group. However, when administrative sanctions by the police are included in the examination, a chronic offender group can be discerned. This Chinese chronic offender group is relatively small in size, but, as in the U.S., these offenders are more likely than others to be involved in violent offending. These chronic offenders are also more likely than other offenders to progress from nonviolent to violent offending after initial contact with the criminal justice system.