Announcements

1
Announcements

• Documents are available by going to the
  libraryFaculty Website
• Reading Assignment for weekend Pages 2-22,90-95,
  106-130
• Question pools

2
Review

• What is Deviant behavior?
• How did society deal with deviant behavior?
• Every criminological theory implies a _______ ?
• The most important evaluation criterion for
  theory is_______?

3
What is a Theory?
? An explanation
4
What is a Theory?
? An explanation
5
What is a Theory?
? A statement of why or how things are related to
each other
6
A Crime Theory Explains

• Why or how certain things are related to
  criminal behavior

7
Crime Theory
For example
Unemployment
8
Some Theories Assume..
Crime is a part of human nature
9
Some Theories Explain..
How human nature is related to crime
10
Other Crime Theories Focus on..

• Biological Factors
• Psychological Factors
• Sociological Factors
• Economic Factors

11
Why is Criminological Theory Important
12
Most Criminal Justice..

• Practices are based on theory
• Policies are logical products of theory

13
Reasons for Studying Criminological Theory
Be aware of theoretical problems that could
undermine criminal justice policies
14
Classical Criminologists Theory of Crime
15
Classical TheoryUtilitarianism
16
Classical Theory-Deterrence

• Free Will
• Pleasure vs Pain

17
Classical Theory

• If a person believes the legal penalty threatens
  more pain than the gain, they will not commit the
  crime

18
Classical Theory

• Their calculation is based on
• Own experience with punishment
• The likelihood they will get caught
• Their knowledge of the law
• Their awareness of what punishment has been given
  in the past

19
Cesare Beccaria

• All criminals should receive identical punishments

20
Cesare Beccaria

• Punishment for crimes should be determined in
  advance

21
Cesare Beccaria

• The penalty should be severe enough to overcome
  the pleasures

22
Cesare Beccaria

• Certainty and Celerity
• The more immediately after the commission of a
  crime a punishment is inflicted, the more just
  and useful it will be

23
Cesare Beccaria

• Certainty and Celerity
• The more immediately after the commission of a
  crime a punishment is inflicted, the more just
  and useful it will be

24
Jeremy Bentham

• Agreed with the Deterrence Theory Doctrine
• for each crime a punishment whose pains would
  outweigh any possible pleasure to be gained from
  them and by assuring the certain and swift
  administration of justice, rational men, deterred
  by the realization that a net loss will
  inevitably result from the criminal act, will
  refrain from breaking the law.

25
Classical School

• If the Punishment most fit the crime does that
  mean that pain for gain is the same for
  everyone?
• Does this mean that legislature should have an
  exact scale of crimes with an exact scale of
  punishments?

26
Specific Deterrence

• If I know that when I was caught the first time,
  I was severely punished. I do not want that
  again.

27
General Deterrence

• The punishment for that crime is rather severe.
  I would not commit that crime because I do not
  want that.

28
Deterrence Doctrine

• The philosophical foundation for western criminal
  law

29
Modern Adaptations

• Blumstein (1978)
• longer sentences, if not a deterrent, will keep
  an inmate in longer
• President Clinton Violent Crime Control Act and
  Law Enforcement Act of 1994

30
Group Project

• There have been several different methods
  proposed to reduce drug abuse in the United
  States.
• Which do you think will be more successful
• Minimum and mandatory sentencing or
• An increase in spending on rehabilitation plans?
• List three reasons in your answer