Benson, Michael L. (1950–)

MICHAEL BENSON, A SOCIOLOGIST and professor of criminology, is the author of several books and articles on white-collar and corporate crime. He teaches criminological, white-collar crime, and life-course theories.

In 1998, Benson, along with co-author Francis T. Cullen, published Combating Corporate Crime: Local Prosecutors at Work. This book was the first major study of corporate crime prosecutions by local government. Benson and Cullen investigated how district attorneys, as publicly elected officials, actually responded to situations of corporate crime. Combining quantitative data and qualitative information, the book concluded that many prosecutors fail to hold corporate criminals accountable for behavior such as false advertising, unsafe working conditions, and environmental pollution.

The actions of prosecutors depended in large part on local economic, social, and crime conditions. The book by Benson ...