Editing Corporate crime (section)

== Criminalization ==
{{Anchor|Discussion}}Behavior can be regulated by the [[civil law (common law)|civil law]] (including [[administrative law]]) or the [[criminal law]]. In deciding to criminalize particular behavior, the [[legislature]] is making the political judgment that this behavior is sufficiently [[Culpability|culpable]] to deserve the stigma of being labelled as a crime. In law, corporations can commit the same offences as natural persons. Simpson (2002) avers that this process should be straightforward because a state should simply engage in [[victimology]] to identify which behavior causes the most loss and damage to its [[citizen]]s, and then represent the majority view that [[justice]] requires the intervention of the criminal law. But states depend on the business sector to deliver a functioning economy, so the politics of regulating the individuals and corporations that supply that stability become more complex. For the views of [[Marxist criminology]], see Snider (1993) and Snider & Pearce (1995), for [[Left realism]], see Pearce & Tombs (1992) and Schulte-Bockholt (2001), and for [[Right Realism]], see Reed & Yeager (1996). More specifically, the historical tradition of [[sovereignty|sovereign]] state control of [[prison]]s is ending through the process of [[privatisation]]. Corporate profitability in these areas therefore depends on building more prison facilities, managing their operations, and selling inmate labor. In turn, this requires a steady stream of prisoners able to work. (Kicenski: 2002)

[[Bribery]] and [[political corruption|corruption]] are problems in the developed world, and the corruption of public officials is thought to be a serious problem in developing countries, and an obstacle to development.

[[Edwin Sutherland]]'s definition of white-collar crime also is related to notions of corporate crime. In his landmark definition of white collar crime he offered these categories of crime:
*Misrepresentation in financial statements of corporations
*[[Market manipulation|Manipulation in the stock market]]
*[[Commercial bribery]]
*Bribery of public officials directly or indirectly
*[[False advertising|Misrepresentation in advertisement and salesmanship]]
*Embezzlement and [[misappropriation of funds]]
*[[Bankruptcy fraud|Misapplication of funds in receiverships and bankruptcies]] (O'Grady: 2011).