Billions of U.S. dollars and enormous intellectual and human capital are spent annually fighting the “crime problem,” which is essentially constructed as a “street crime problem.” Students of white-collar crime and several nonprofit organizations have tried to call attention to “crimes in the suites,” but these efforts have had limited impact on actual public policy. There is convincing evidence that corporate misdeeds victimize more people – even entire societies – than street offenders; nevertheless, public perceptions and policy priorities continue to support practices whereby “the rich get richer and the poor get prison.” This chapter will outline some types of corporate practice that are entirely lawful yet are more harmful than what is defined as crime.
