'CRIME DOESN'T NECESSARILY PAY'

Criminology study of Quebec inmates. Some prisoners made as much as
$10 million before their arrest - others made nothing

What does it take to be a top criminal?

According to Carlo Morselli, the keys to success for drug dealers and
thieves alike include low self-control and the ability to network -
the same qualities that make a good businessman.

Morselli and Pierre Tremblay, criminologists at the Universite de
Montreal, studied the relative success of inmates at five Quebec
prisons, through lengthy interviews about their activities and
revenues over the three years preceding their incarceration.

Some of their conclusions, published in the journal Criminology, may
be surprising to a public brought up on gangster films and the Sopranos.

"Crime doesn't necessarily pay," Morselli said in a recent interview,
"but like in any profession, it pays better for some than for others."

Indeed, of 156 inmates studied, 16 made absolutely nothing from the
crimes that landed them in jail - though money was their prime
motivation - while others made as much as $10 million before their
arrest. The average was about $42,000, Morselli said.

A major factor in the respondents' success - or lack thereof - was
their propensity to take risks, be opportunistic and think fast, which
together add up to low self-control. It was especially important in
so-called predatory crimes: robbery, fraud, auto theft.

"Low self-control has always been seen in a negative way," Morselli
said, adding criminologists tend to see it as the reason for people's
descent into crime. "But when you see what criminals actually get out
of their crimes, it is a positive thing that will increase your
revenues. Any stockbroker or aggressive entrepreneur will tell you
it's the behaviour you need."

Successful criminals must also have the right networks, however, if
taking risks is to be profitable, Morselli said.

The public tends to think the most successful criminals are those in
organized crime families or biker gangs, where everyone knows each
other.

Criminologists, on the other hand, think crime is a losing
proposition, success being so exceptional, it's not worth studying.

The few studies done on criminal success focus on age, gender and drug
addiction - a young, male addict being more motivated to succeed - as
well as factors that contribute to success in the conventional labour
market: specialization, desire for wealth, and ability to work with
others.

Morselli's and Tremblay's research on networks builds on those
studies, and falls somewhere between the public and academic
perceptions. The inmates who made the most money tended to be
independent "brokers."

Asked what possible applications this kind of research has, Morselli
was quick to say he was not interested in treatment or rehabilitation,
but in understanding the criminal experience.

"The only policy implication we can find is that one of the good
reasons to study criminal earnings is that it's a good predictor of
recidivism," said Morselli, who is now studying the importance of
mentors and ambition in criminal careers. "The more money you make,
the more likely you'll do crime again and end up in prison again."

Asked to rate their own success, inmates then put a number figure to
the salary it would take for them to stay in legitimate business. At
the low end of the scale, those who thought of themselves as failures
requested about $32,000, while those who considered themselves highly
successful wanted $63,000.

"With some you'd see they had had really good runs on selling stolen
car parts or scams or drugs on the side. They had networks and knew
what they were doing. We'd say, "Not bad," and they'd say, "Thank
you." You see on their face and in their know-how there's a good
chance they'll be doing it afterward. They're organized for it.
They're not successful people but they're successful at doing crime."