TY - JOUR
T1 - A snowball's chance in hell
T2 - Doing fieldwork with active residential burglars
AU - Wright, Richard
AU - Decker, Scott H.
AU - Redfern, Allison K.
AU - Smith, Dietrich L.
PY - 1992/5
Y1 - 1992/5
N2 - Criminologists long have recognized the importance of field studies of active offenders. Nevertheless, the vast majority of them have shied away from researching criminals “in the wild” in the belief that doing so is impractical. This article, based on the authors' fieldwork with 105 currently active residential burglars, challenges that assumption. Specifically, it describes how the authors went about finding these offenders and obtaining their cooperation. Further, it considers the difficulties involved in maintaining an on-going field relationship with those who lead chaotic lives. And lastly, the article outlines the characteristics of the sample, noting important ways in which it differs from one collected through criminal justice channels.
AB - Criminologists long have recognized the importance of field studies of active offenders. Nevertheless, the vast majority of them have shied away from researching criminals “in the wild” in the belief that doing so is impractical. This article, based on the authors' fieldwork with 105 currently active residential burglars, challenges that assumption. Specifically, it describes how the authors went about finding these offenders and obtaining their cooperation. Further, it considers the difficulties involved in maintaining an on-going field relationship with those who lead chaotic lives. And lastly, the article outlines the characteristics of the sample, noting important ways in which it differs from one collected through criminal justice channels.
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U2 - 10.1177/0022427892029002003
DO - 10.1177/0022427892029002003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0026547773
SN - 0022-4278
VL - 29
SP - 148
EP - 161
JO - Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency
JF - Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency
IS - 2
ER -