According to Beccaria, any form or degree of punishment that exceeded the comparative seriousness of the crime or the functional purpose of effectively deterring that crime was excessive, purposeless, and cruel. Based on that philosophy, Beccaria proposed that penal consequences should be designed to be sufficiently harsh to cause individuals contemplating criminal behavior to re-evaluate that choice on a rational basis and to avoid (rational) choices to perpetrate crime as a direct result of their awareness of the risks of specific kinds of punishment that corresponded to those crimes (Lynch, 1999).
The Contributions of Lombroso to Criminal Justice
Unlike Durkheim and Beccaria, Lombroso rejected the societal and functional dynamics of criminality as primary contributors to deviance and crime in society. Lombroso specifically argued that crime was substantially the result of innate difference in individuals that predisposed certain people to deviance and criminality beyond their conscious control, and certainly, beyond the dynamics of any rational-choice-based motivation (Lynch, 1999). This theory of criminal atavism (i.e. "from the father") suggested that criminality was largely a function of inheritable characteristics that ran in families and were transmitted from generation to generation in the same manner as physical characteristics such as height, eye color, and hair color.
In his time, Lombroso's theories could not necessarily contribute productively to criminal justice, simply because they were inconsistent with a deterrent or punitive approach to reducing criminal...
Justice as Retribution Every individual in the globe has a perception towards crime, justice, criminals, and many other aspects in relation to criminals. On hearing the term "criminal," every individual reacts differently. There are those who feel that a criminal deserves to die, others feel they should rot in prison and many other divergent views. However, does it ever occur that a criminal can be a criminal, through a legal process
Criminals -- Born or Made Since the construction of the first civil society, behavioral rules distinguishing what is acceptable and what is criminal have existed. Even though individuals typically have a concept of conventional moral behavior, criminal conduct is represented in every society and culture. Criminal deviance is not a novel construct, and has long been the intrigue of researchers, philosophers, and theorists to determine criminal motivation and link the relationship
(2009). An Assessment of Scales Measuring Constructs in Tests of Criminological Theory Based on National Youth Survey Data. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 46(1), 73-105. Blatt, Sidney J., & Auerbach, John S. (2000). Psychoanalytic Models of the Mind and their Contributions to Personality Research. European Journal of Personality, Vol. 14, 429- Brannigan, Augustine. (1997). Self-Control, social control and evolutionary psychology: Towards an integrated perspective on crime. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 403-431. Heimer, Karen,
Crime Understanding why crime occurs requires an appreciation for the complexity of human behavior. Behavior is not determined by one factor, but rather influenced by a host of interrelated factors. Modern biological theories in criminology differ from previous theories in that they examine the entire range of biological characteristics, including those that result from genetic defects (those that are inherited) and those that are environmentally induced. In addition, theories developed since
Aboriginal people are the Indians who live in Canada. Over the years, they have been characterized by poor living conditions, low social status, poverty, discrimination, and social injustices. Government organizations should be on the front ensuring proper treatment and social justice for the Aboriginal people. Red Cross is an example of non-profit organization, which seeks to improve the status of the Aboriginal people, regardless of their social status and with
Features of Positivist Criminology Positivist criminology uses scientific research (primarily quantitative, laboratory, empirical experiment) to investigate the causes of crime and deviant behavior. Positivist criminology posits that the roots of deviancy are located in the physical, genetic, psychological or biological makeup of the individual and the individual, consequently, is not held accountable (or is faintly held accountable) for his deeds. Use of instruments, statistics, classification, and similar scientific instruments are
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now