Offenders’ Afterthoughts

Abstract

It may only be after prosecution and incarceration that white-collar criminals actually consider the implications of their crimes, weighing up in their afterthoughts, whether it had all been worthwhile. In taking stock of their experiences, they will undoubtedly assess the costs and benefits of committing their crimes, tallying up the losses from their behaviour against any gains they have come across during the trajectory of their offence(s). During this self-analysis, offenders considered what, if anything would have caused them to desist from their illegal activities; whether they felt jail was a deterrent and what the future may hold for them. These are all explored in this chapter. Differences were identified between male and female offenders in this context. These are explored in further detail in Chapter 8.