Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2023

Publisher

Springer

Source Publication

Crime, Law and Social Change

Source ISSN

0925-4994

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1007/s10611-022-10044-z

Abstract

In addition to legal considerations, what other factors correlate with and seem to affect fines companies are assessed when they commit an environmental crime? Relying upon the treadmill of crime theoretical framework we hypothesize that companies committing environmental crimes in poor and minority dominated communities will receive lower relative fines because the harms are viewed as less serious by prosecutors and judges, thus resulting in environmental injustice. In addition, from a green criminological framework, a company’s economic situation may be considered in setting fines so as not to slow down the treadmill of production. Using a unique dataset of firms fined for environmental violations in federal criminal courts, we seek to determine if sentencing practices that are consistent with the treadmill of crime perspective produce second-level environmental injustices. We conclude that the sentencing of corporations is handled in a manner consistent with predictions derived from the treadmill of crime theory and find as a result, in limited circumstances, environmental injustices are occurring.

Comments

Accepted version. Crime, Law and Social Change, Vol. 79, No. 3 (April 2023): 241-261. DOI. © Springer. Used with permission.

Matthew J. Greife was affiliated with Bemidji State University at the time of publication.

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