Criminal behaviour is influenced by economic, social and environmental factors and involves disciplines such as sociology, geography, mathematics and psychology. Around 11 million people are held in penal institutions worldwide, with numbers rising in many regions. Many facilities are severely overcrowded and deny incarcerated people access to food and basic medical care. Government spending per prisoner varies dramatically — about €13 (US$15) per day in Bulgaria versus €532 in Norway — reflecting different punishment and rehabilitation approaches. Hidden costs include family financial pressures, psychological harm and social stigma; US mass incarceration costs at least $182 billion annually. Research with incarcerated populations is emotionally challenging and requires strong networks to build trust.
Influenced by economic, social and environmental factors, criminal behaviour is a complex phenomenon. Academics across disciplines as varied as sociology, geography, mathematics and psychology work to understand why and how individuals become involved in and experience the criminal justice system. They also seek to develop strategies for crime prevention, intervention and rehabilitation, and to understand the effectiveness of criminal-justice policies.
It is important work: globally, around 11 million people are held in penal institutions. And in much of the world, numbers are rising. Many of these correctional facilities are severely overcrowded and deny incarcerated individuals access to food and basic medical care. Estimated government spending per person in prison per day is around €13 (US$15) in Bulgaria, compared with €532 in Norway. Such differences can reflect a country's approach to punishment and rehabilitation.
The hidden costs of incarceration include financial and economic pressures faced by family members with a loved one in prison, as well as the psychological toll and social stigma that can come from being incarcerated. In the United States alone, mass incarceration costs the federal government and the families of those involved with the justice system at least $182 billion every year, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a public-policy think tank in Easthampton, Massachusetts.
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