Perceptions of the justice system in socially disadvantaged areas

Implementing effective and appropriately focused efforts in socially disadvantaged areas requires sound knowledge about the underlying situation, not in the least based on the residents’ own experiences. Accordingly, the Government has requested that Brå investigate the relationship to the justice system in socially disadvantaged areas.

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The report is based on questionnaire responses and interviews with residents in socially disadvantaged areas. The residents describe, among other things, the extent to which they:

have confidence in the police and courts
feel safe in their neighbourhoods
are willing to telephone the police, identify perpetrators to the police, or give evidence in court
experience that there is influence exercised by criminals or other forms of parallel societal structures in the areas.

Interviews with representatives of civil society, business owners, municipal employees, police officers, and others working in the areas provide additional perspective.

The report is intended primarily for the justice system, but is also of interest to municipalities, public authorities, and other parties who work in socially disadvantaged areas. We hope that the report can also be useful for decision makers on the local and national levels.

© The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, 2018
Authors: Johanna Skinnari, Fredrik Marklund, Erik Nilsson, Christian Stjärnqvist and Daniel Vesterhav

urn:nbn:se:bra-779