Local Prosecutors and Corporate Crime

Abstract

Based on a national survey and interviews, this article describes the attitudes and practices of local prosecutors regarding corporate crime. Although most local prosecutors did not regard corporate crime as a serious problem, their willingness to prosecute increases if an offense causes substantial harm and other agencies fail to act. Despite repeated calls for coordinated responses to corporate crime, relatively few local prosecutors participate in interagency control networks. Those in control networks, however, conducted more prosecutions and expressed greater concern over corporate crime. The commitment of organizational resources and resulting career opportunities thereby created may explain differences between network and nonnetwork districts.