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IS JUSTICE “COLLAR‐BLIND”?: PUNISHING MEDICAID PROVIDER FRAUD *
Author(s) -
TILLMAN ROBERT,
PONTELL HENRY N.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
criminology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.467
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1745-9125
pISSN - 0011-1384
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1992.tb01116.x
Subject(s) - sanctions , punishment (psychology) , criminology , white collar crime , enforcement , criminal justice , collar , medicaid , white (mutation) , psychology , political science , health care , law , business , social psychology , biochemistry , chemistry , finance , gene
The question of punishment of white‐collar criminals is addressed in this paper through an examination of sanctions imposed on health care providers convicted of defrauding California's Medicaid “Medi‐Cal” system. Quantitative data were collected from Medi‐Cal case files and, for comparative purposes, from a statewide data base maintained by the California Bureau of Criminal Statistics for grand theft arrestees. Qualitative data comprising interviews with Medi‐Cal enforcement personnel supplement the analysis. The analysis of criminal sanctions reveals greater leniency in the punishment of Medi‐Cal offenders than in the punishment of similarly charged non‐white‐collar offenders. The findings are related to recent debates regarding the severity of punishment for white‐collar offenders.