Habitual offender

Professional criminals is a legal concept, introduced the detectives during the Weimar Republic in the 1920s for repeat offenders. The concept was based on the theory that repeat offenders exercised the crime as a profession.

History

During the period of National Socialism, this theory was accepted and led to two schemes. On November 24, 1933 a law was passed against dangerous habitual criminals and on measures of assurance and improvement ( Reich Law Gazette I 995 ). In it, a perpetual preventive detention was provided which could be ordered by a court and executed in regular prisons.

For crime prevention was a " preventive custody " decree of 13 November 1933. Defines was in it as a career criminal who had been convicted within five years at least three times because of an act committed for profit offense each of at least six months' imprisonment. By February 1934 525 Vorbeugehäftlinge in Lichtenburg concentration camp were imprisoned and later were " professional criminals " then admitted to Esterwegen and the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Heinrich Himmler ordered in February 1937, two thousand not employed in permanent employment relationships arrest " professional and habitual criminals ." This action was carried out in March 1937. The total number of concentration camp trained " professional criminals " who were in the camp with a " green corner " and were later falsely termed Temporary prevention prisoners, is not sufficiently explored.