Entrepreneurship: a divergent pathway out of crime?

Smith, Robert

Abstract

This chapter illustrates how knowledge of entrepreneurship can be used as a diversionary mechanism to divert and lead offenders out of crime. Indeed, entrepreneurship offers such a divergent pathway but paradoxically entrepreneurship being amoral can be used to achieve both good and bad ends. Nevertheless, entrepreneurship as a life theme pervades society and the actions of individuals within them. The chapter begins by discussing the links between entrepreneurship and crime and in particular the hidden links between crime “ dyslexia “ and entrepreneurship. Building upon this theoretical foundation by using examples and case studies from across the globe, this chapter demonstrates how social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education is already making a contribution to the Criminal Justice Systems in their respective countries. These examples and other themes developed within the chapter are worked into a tentative model which can be used by those in such Criminal Justice Systems to divert even more offenders away from a debilitating life of crime.

Citation

SMITH, R. 2009. Entrepreneurship: a divergent pathway out of crime? In Jaishankar, K. (ed.) International perspectives on crime and justice. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pages 162-184.

• Publication Date: Mar 31, 2009
• Deposit Date: Jun 4, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 4, 2012
• Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
• Pages: 162-184
• Book Title: International perspectives on crime and justice
• ISBN: 9781443801980
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/723