White Collar and Organized CrimeIn the 20th century, white collar crime and organized crime attracted the attention of the American criminal justice system because of their higher cost to society than most normal street crimes. Even with the new attention in the criminal justice system, both remain relatively unknown to the general public. Although we know this is happening, due to lack of media coverage and information, society does not realize the scale of these crimes and their impact. White-collar and organized crimes are generally crimes committed by a person considered respectable and of high social status. The crimes committed generally consist of fraud, insider trading, bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, identity theft or forgery. Normally one person wouldn't commit all of these crimes, but probably one or the other. Most white collar crimes are committed by organizations which can be corporations or small businesses. White-collar workers and organized crime can endanger the well-being of people across the country. It is one of the costliest crimes in society. White-collar criminals take advantage of businesses, and organized crime generally takes advantage of illegal businesses and may resort to violent measures. When I think of organized crime, I think of the mafia as you see it on television. This is probably what most people think of if you don't know much about it. In recent years, organized crime has changed and the threat is more complex than in the past. According to the FBI, organized crime consists of Russian mobs who fled to the United States, groups that engage in drug trafficking and drug trafficking. scams originating from African countries and companies based in Eastern European countries like Romania. Many groups began using middle of paper crimes rather than street crimes. It is rare that you hear about these crimes on the news before the sentencing has been handed down. Unfortunately, businesses can easily afford to pay thousands or even millions of dollars in penalties and fines. Penalties must therefore be considerably increased. Because of corporate power, white-collar crime is difficult to prove, even once suspected. Determining who started the crime and trying to persuade a jury that already has difficulty understanding the complexity of these types of crimes can be difficult. Works Cited Barkan, Steven E. Criminology: A Sociological Understanding. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2012. 333-43. Print. “Organized crime”. FBI. FBI, May 8, 2013. Web. April 10, 2014. Schmalleger, Frank. Criminal justice today: an introductory text for the 21st century. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2013. Print.