Document falsification is a crime that is present in various fields and employed by numerous perpetrators. The crime is often described as a white color crime as the modification of documents is primarily used for illegal monetary benefits and deception of others (Lippman, 2021). Document falsification can be divided into two sections: forgery, which involves modification of documents with legal significance for fraudulent activities; utterance, the application of falsified documents (Lippman, 2021). Depending on the severity of the crimes, the act could be punishable by up to 10 years of prison time but also treated as a misdemeanor (Lippman, 2021). Consequently, the reoccurrence of such actions could be interpreted as a sign of lax legislative measures.
However, the necessity for enforcement of rigorous punitive measures is not necessary. According to the data from FBI arrests, it is evident that forgery and counterfeit crimes are experiencing a decline. In 2008, over 90,000 arrests were conducted for the act of forgery and counterfeiting, while by 2014, 56,800 arrests were made (EZAUCR, 2017). The data could be speculated in various ways: positively — fewer people are involved in document and money falsification, and negatively — forged documents are becoming much more challenging to identify. The likelihood of the first causation is more potent as the development of technology led to more intricate designs of detection mechanisms that allow immediate apprehension of falsified documents. Therefore, it might be necessary to enhance the preventive measures employed by institutions where such fraudulent activity is detected more often rather than focusing on the punishment.
The current response to falsified documents is sufficient and can only be enhanced in the size of the penalty fees. Some justice systems consider only a 1000$ fine that could be combined with prison time (Wirth Law Office, n.d.). In my opinion, it might be necessary to review this bill and let it be redefined with the inclusion of compensation for the victim’s damages. In addition, it might be beneficial for society to introduce early-age guidance as a preventive measure against document falsification and other crimes as an approach to changing generational perceptions of crime.
References
EZAUCR. (2017). Easy access to FBI arrest statistics. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Web.
Lippman, M. R. (2021). Contemporary criminal law: Concepts, cases, and controversies. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Wirth Law Office. (n.d.). Uttering a forged instrument means forgery in Oklahoma. Wirth Law Office. Web.