Features of spreading criminal subculture among juvenile suspects, accused and convicts

Introduction. In recent years, criminal subculture has been increasingly and widely spread in Russian society, especially among children and juveniles. Traditionally, penitentiary institutions, including those for minors, are considered to be the source of dispersing elements of the criminal subculture. The purpose of the study is to specify the peculiarities of spread of criminal subculture among juvenile offenders, whose sentence in the form of imprisonment or probation (without isolation from society) is being executed, as well as those under investigation. Materials and Methods. The study covered 23 reform colonies, 118 pre-trial detention centers and 80 penal inspections. In total, 3,020 juveniles participated in the survey including: 1088 juveniles serving the sentence in reform colonies, 815 juveniles from pre-trial detention centers and 1,117 juveniles who are registered in penal inspections. The authors employed their own questionnaire with nineteen questions. Results and Discussion. The study identified elements of the criminal subculture that are most common among juveniles, as well as regions with the highest level of spread of the criminal subculture among minors. Conclusions. The juveniles had demonstrated a high level of addiction to crime even before entering places of deprivation of liberty. The sources of spreading criminal subculture among minors include the Internet and social networks as currently prevalent.