The origin and evolution of the subculture of criminals in pre-revolutionary Russia

The results of the study showed that the system of values, attitudes, ways of behavior and lifestyles of a certain social group differs from the dominant culture in society. It can be stated that at the end of the XIX - early XX century, due to the emergence of a stable system of prison detention, the foundations of what was later interpreted as “thieves’ law” were laid. At this time, a stable criminal hierarchy is formed among prisoners on various grounds. In addition, the subculture was a powerful factor in the self-renewal and rejuvenation of crime. Juvenile criminals, because of their psychological immaturity, lack of proper moral attitudes, are easily amenable to anti-social ideology. Impact on the identity of the offender from other offenders in terms of the deprivation of liberty constitutes a concentrated negative phenomenon. Describing the mechanism of influence on the convict, the environment of his stay in the process of mutual communication is an exchange, the assimilation of informal norms of behavior, traditions, as a result of which he loses his originality and becomes similar to the majority who are there for a considerable period of time. In isolation from society, there is a degradation of the individual, stigmatization of the offender, which greatly weakens the sense of self-esteem and draws him deeper into a criminal career.