Crime, Justice, and Growth in South Africa: Toward a Plausible Contribution from Criminal Justice to Economic Growth

John F. Kennedy School of Government Working Paper No. RWP06-038

Center for International Development Working Paper No. 131

20 Pages Posted: 11 Oct 2006

See all articles by Christopher Stone

Christopher Stone

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Date Written: September 2006

Abstract

Crime in South Africa is high and widely believed to restrain investment. Nevertheless, both the mechanisms through which crime constrains growth and the actions that might be taken to loosen its grip are poorly understood. In light of the limited knowledge in the field and the limited capacity of criminal justice institutions, this paper proposes focusing on two issues: (1) the costs of crime to business, especially household-based enterprises in low-income settlements, and (2) the perception of violent crime. In both cases, the paper proposes a cyclical process of iterative innovation in which government seeks to solve narrowly circumscribed crime problems, and then leverages each success to generate wider hope and confidence in the criminal justice system.

Keywords: Crime and Criminal Justice, International Development

Suggested Citation

Stone, Christopher, Crime, Justice, and Growth in South Africa: Toward a Plausible Contribution from Criminal Justice to Economic Growth (September 2006). John F. Kennedy School of Government Working Paper No. RWP06-038, Center for International Development Working Paper No. 131, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=902387 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.902387

Christopher Stone (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) ( email )

79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-495-4844 (Phone)
617-496-9053 (Fax)

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