Greg MD Blog

For: Sociology class

Fox News narrator from Swamp Watch, the decriminalization of white-collar crime. Questions why drug dealers go to prison, and white-collar crime get off with a fine and a slap on the hand. There are two justice systems: one rule for the elite and another for everyone else.

The video talks about two types of crime, white-collar crime, and street crime, which are related to committing the offense in another way.  Why do we identify the white-collar crime for the elite of the wealthy and influential people, mostly older white men? They have a higher education, at least a bachelor’s or higher degree level. Yes, this is stereotyping, but history shows that these white men have mostly committed these types of crimes. They are perpetrating bank fraud with people’s investments as they intend to take money or wealth from others for their benefit and financial gains. Back in 2008, with the housing market collapse, the writing was on the wall.  The problem was that most higher executives ignored the warning sign, but the money was the driving factor. If a person who was non-white committed this type of social deviance, they would face harsh punishment. 

However, you can have an individual who commits a street crime, such as selling drugs or prostitution, to earn money. This type of behavior has been around for a long time. We look at the individual who commits these acts, and the majority are non-white with no education or maybe a high diploma. Is the social control we have in place by keeping individuals in social and economic challenges as to where the cycle is repetitive in these certain acts? 

So, what is the difference between white-collar crime and street crime? Both are committing a crime in one form or another. One has a higher education level, and the other may have only a high school diploma. One is about white power and control over street crime. It is almost necessary to have street crime as a money-making machine for the elite, who mainly back these lower elements of crime. It is almost like a cat-and-mouse chase between the businesses and government where no one meets in the middle. So, the government puts laws in place to protect the interests of the public through social regulation.  The ones who would benefit from the social rules are the white-collar crimes that are not held accountable or just with a small fine and no jail time. 

When this type of crime is caught and prosecuted, the white-collar crime will usually serve time in federal prison for the elite, and the street crime will serve time in state prison. Most state prisons are outsourced to a company that is not a government agency that oversees each inmate’s rehabilitation. So, the prison system imposes formal social sanctions on the prisoner with many rules and regulations. 

Looking at the history of the two classes of crime, one will repeat and become recidivism within the judicial system. Does rehabilitation work for the individual who commits a street crime? “Recidivism is the “reversion of an individual to criminal behavior” after involvement with the criminal justice system (Maltz, 2001).” Nevertheless, the individuals who commit a white-collar crime are usually back in an office and still committing a crime but in a different way as their money and power will protect them. 

Written by: Greg MD