Special Criminology Workshop -“Corona Crime and Fear Itself”

Presenter: Candace McCoy, Professor of Criminal Justice, The Graduate Center and John Jay College

Discussant: Jayne Mooney, Professor of Sociology, the Graduate Center and John Jay College.

Description: Once the virus wanes, what then?  Alarmists cry that an economic depression will produce widespread looting and violent crime.  The author predicts the opposite.  Framing the argument with reference to the Great Depression and her own family’s memories of it, she examines the known causes of crime and concludes that violent crimes will decline while shoplifting, scams, and white-collar embezzling will rise drastically.  Beefing up police presence to deal with economic meltdown is useless.  Instead, the collective efficacy of neighborhood and family, along with government aid to the temporarily poor, will prevent crime and see us through the crisis – as they did in the Depression.  Rises in domestic violence will also be discussed.

Plenty of time will be open for audience discussion of possible developments in crime rates in the coming economic breakdown.  Whereas ordinarily we would have food and drink available if the workshop were happening in person, participants are encouraged to bring your own to the zoom session.  Also, the short article “Corona Crime and Fear Itself,” shortly to be published in The American Prospect, will be sent to you once you RSVP for the event to Candace McCoy at cmccoy@gc.cuny.edu. You will then receive via email a Zoom invitation and link to the article. All are welcome to sign up!!

* This event will be held online. A Zoom link will be sent separately for those who RSVP.