Incarceration and intergenerational family relations in organized crime

Studies demonstrate that the family members’ criminal behaviour is one of the best predictors of involvement in criminal activity by younger people. However, little attention has been paid by the literature to the intergenerational transmission of delinquent behaviour inside organized crime groups. This chapter aims to understand and discuss intergenerational family ties among organized crime offenders. Based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of a sample of Portuguese court decisions on Criminal Association, we examine the extent of intergenerational continuity of crime inside organized crime groups and the underlying mechanisms, such as gender, and the extent to which sentencing outcomes vary with family ties and intergenerational links. We conclude that offenders responsible for that transmission are the ones more likely to be convicted to prison.