Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: White-collar crime victims experience loss and harm in a variety of ways. Research has shown that such crimes often cause or contribute to a range of psychological disorders, and even death, among its victims. However, the justice system has concerned itself solely with the financial losses experienced by white-collar crime victims. Virtually every state has adopted policies that allow officials to seize and liquidate offenders’ assets in order to redistribute funds to victims. Despite these efforts victims are seldom able to recover more than a small fragment of the money they lost. These policies, however, have resulted in a disturbing side-effect that has not yet been addressed in the literature. Those related to and dependent upon these offenders (e.g., spouses, children, etc.) have often been left homeless and penniless after officials have seized everything they own. Despite the fact that these people possess no criminal culpability, they are victimized by the justice system’s under-developed response to white-collar crime. This paper provides an analysis and contextual critique of these policies. Information derived from interviews with several assistant district attorneys specializing in the investigation and prosecution of white-collar crime reveals the extent of this collateral victimization. Several case studies of collateral victims show the detriment of these policies.