The production of "criminals" in Finland in the 1980s

The article describes from the constructionist starting‐point the quantitative development of people sentenced to prison for the first time in the 1980s in Finland. The reasons for and consequences of this development are also examined. The data consist of a register that covers all the decisions given by the Finnish lower courts of justice for the period 1977–1991. The basic observation is that the number of Finnish people defined for the first time as “criminals” decreased by about 20% in the 1980s. However, at the same time the penal system has increased its efficiency: the number of registered crimes and sentences has grown considerably. This has led to a more rapid circulation of “criminals” between prison and the outside. At the same time, the death rate of those labeled as criminals has increased in all age groups, which indicates the growing marginalization of that diminishing group.