In the Netherlands, suspended sentences are increasingly imposed as alternatives to short-term imprisonment in an attempt to reduce recidivism. However, little research has been done to examine recidivism outcomes after suspended sentences. This study used official data on adult offenders sentenced to either fully suspended prison sentences or short-term imprisonment in the court districts of Amsterdam and The Hague (n = 2115). Using propensity score matching, no significant differences in the risk of reconviction between the two sentences were found. Regarding criminal history, first offenders given fully suspended prison sentences had a higher risk of being reconvicted than first offenders sentenced to short-term imprisonment. In contrast, recidivists sentenced to short-term imprisonment had a higher risk of being reconvicted.
ABSTRACT. In combating and regulating underground banking, a choice can be made of roughly two models, the risk model and the assimilation model. The risk model comes down to a complete prohibition of underground banking combined with an active investigation and prosecution policy. In the assimilation model, underground banking is recognised as a form of financial services but at the same time, all rules that generally apply to financial services are declared applicable to underground bankers. An effort is made simultaneously to lower the threshold of the formal banking system. The international recommendations and legislation-in particular of the Financial Action Task Force and the European Union-take the assimilation model as their starting point, albeit that no or hardly any attention is paid to the role of the formal banking system. With that, relatively little account is taken as yet in the international community of the historic and socio-economic backgrounds of informal banking systems, their embedment in different cultures and the advantages of the services offered.
I INTRODUCTIONAttention for underground banking has increased sharply since the attacks of 11 September 2001. Since then, not only national legislators, but also international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), and researchers have thought about the most appropriate way to regulate and/or combat underground banking. Several initiatives have in the meanwhile been developed on that level and the necessary rules and regulations have been enacted. This paper is devoted to such regulation and combating of underground banking and centres on two questions. Which points for attention should be taken into account * Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure,
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