Chapter 15: Deterrence, Routine Activity and Rational Choice Theories (Street/Conventional Crime)

Question 1

Who was the starter of deterrence theory?

Answer 1

Beccaria

Question 2

What did Beccaria theorize that was labelled as deterrence theory?

Answer 2

that humans are rational and will not choose crime if it doesn’t make sense based on a cost-benefit analysis of the potential gains vs losses

Question 3

Instead of the severity of punishment what is a better deterrent?

Answer 3

the certainty of the punishment

Question 4

What is the effect of longer prison sentences in regards to crime? What is an explanation for this?

Answer 4

actually an increase in crime; labelling theory provides explanations of this (the criminal sees himself as such)

Question 5

Do mandatory minimum sentences deter crime? What is an example of one?

Answer 5

no, they just cause more people in jail; the 3 strikes law in California

Question 6

What are two ways to increase the certainty of punishment?

Answer 6

1) Hot spots policing

2) Individualized deterrence

Question 7

What is hot spots policing?

Answer 7

concentrating police resources on high crime locations

Question 8

What is individualized deterrence?

Answer 8

offenders heavily involved in criminal activity are warned that they are under surveillance; also extra resources is indeed devoted to them

Question 9

What are 2 real world examples of individualized deterrence?

Answer 9

1) Boston’s operation ceasefire: positive effects

2) Hawaii’s Project HOPE: made punishment swift and certain for those failing drug tests on probation

Question 10

Who is behind rational choice theory?

Answer 10

Britain’s home office and Clarke and Cornish

Question 11

What is rational choice theory?

Answer 11

the idea that crime is a result of deliberate choices made by criminals based on their calculations of the risks and rewards; these calculations are not always good

Question 12

What are 2 central ideas to rational choice theory?

Answer 12

1) Crime is purposeful to fulfill needs

2) Focus on situation factors rather than background of offender

Question 13

Who are 2 central theorists to Environmental Criminology’s contributions to street crime theory? What is their main idea?

Answer 13

Patricia and Paul Birtingham; that daily routes/encounters can influence crime

Question 14

What are the 3 areas in society where street crime is possible according to environmental criminologists? Describe each briefly

Answer 14

1) Nodes: important areas in a person’s life; where they spend a lot of time
2) Paths: routes between nodes
3) Edges: boundaries between different land use areas
Each is vulnerable for different reasons

Question 15

Who are the main contributors to Lifestyle/exposure theory?

Answer 15

Hindelang, Gottfredson and Garofalo

Question 16

What is lifestyle/exposure theory? What demonstrates it?

Answer 16

some lifestyles expose people to more risks than others; repeated victimization

Question 17

Who are the main contributors to the routine activities approach? What did they try to identify?

Answer 17

Cohen and Felson; factors present for a crime to occur

Question 18

What 3 factors did Cohen and Felson say are present for crime to occur according to the routine activities approach?

Answer 18

1) Motivated offender
2) A suitable target
3) Lack of guardianship

Question 19

Who are intimate handlers? What do they do in relation to crime?

Answer 19

people close to the criminal who lessen the likelihood that the individual will engage in crime

Question 20

Who are facilitators? What do they do in relation to crime? What are the 3 categories of them?

Answer 20

people or things that increase the likelihood an individual will engage in crime; 1) physical 2) social 3) chemical

Question 21

What belief is situational crime prevention premised on? Based on this, what does it attempt to accomplish?

Answer 21

that crime is more opportunistic than inevitable; reduce the opportunities for crime

Question 22

What are 5 methods for situational prevention?

Answer 22

1) Increasing effort required to commit a crime
2) Increasing risks by increasing surveillance
3) Reducing rewards: facilitate recovery, remove targets
4) Reducing provocation: peer pressure, frustration
5) Reducing excuses: clear rules and limits

Question 23

What is the goal of those taking a reduction in motivated offenders approach to crime? What variables do they focus on?

Answer 23

prevention through social development and the changing of environment; family problems, peer issues, poverty etc.

Question 24

What are 2 examples of the motivated offenders approach in action?

Answer 24

1) Perry School Project

2) Winnipeg Auto Theft Suppression Strategy (WATSS)

Question 25

What is the Crime Severity Index (CSI) based on?

Answer 25

the average sentence handed out for the offence

Question 26

What year did the CSI increase in Canada recently, why?

Answer 26

2015; Alberta had a large spike in all kinds of crime

Question 27

What months are violent incidents most likely to occur?

Answer 27

the summer months and december?

Question 28

What are 4 patterns of victimization?

Answer 28

1) Younger
2) Lower income
3) Alcohol
4) Repeat victims

Question 29

What is the order of severity of killing another person?

Answer 29

1. First degree murder
2. Second degree murder
3. Voluntary manslaughter (sudden passion)
4. Involuntary manslaughter (unintentional negligence)

Question 30

What is the maximum years in prison for impaired driving killing?

Answer 30

14 years

Question 31

What is an aggravating factor? What does it do to the sentence received? Examples

Answer 31

facts about the crime, defendant or victim that make it more serious; a harsher sentence; brutality, history of criminal etc.

Question 32

What is a mitigating factor? What does it do to the sentence received? Examples

Answer 32

a factor that shows that the defendant poses less risk to society than expected; reduce sentences; remorse, acting in courtroom, good history etc.

Question 33

What needs to be present for Infanticide to be the charge? What is the maximum sentence?

Answer 33

the female biological mother commits it through willful acts of omission that causes the death of a newly-born, if not disturbed from giving birth

Question 34

What is the maximum sentence for infanticide? What can be used as a pardoning quality and in what cases?

Answer 34

5 years; post partum depression but only if you do it soon after birth

Question 35

What percent of civilian guns does the US have compare to their population relative to the world?

Answer 35

35-50% of guns; 5% of population

Question 36

In Canada what is a common car type to be stolen?

Answer 36

Ford

Question 37

What is selective incapacitation?

Answer 37

long sentences to dangerous offenders