Classical School Of Criminology Flashcards
When was the enlightenment era?
17th to the 20th century
What was the enlightenment era?
Breaking free of religions authority, crime being “evil” and no formal rules of procedure and instead focusing on faith in science and reason
What is social contract theory?
We agree to surrender some of our freedom in exchange for political order to prevent all out war
Who described social contract theory and when?
Thomas Hobbes in 1651
What did Beccaria believe? And when?
18th century
That laws should be clear and simple
Punishment should be swift, certain and proportionate
Laws should be written and used for general deterrence
What is a utilitarian?
Someone who believes the best choice is that which provides “the greatest happiness for the greatest number”
How did Bentham apply utilitarianism to criminology?
He judged the severity of crime by its effect on the happiness of the community
The severity of punishment was that which brought the greatest happiness to the community and the least amount of pain to the delinquent
What is deterrence theory?
Punishment must be certain, swift and proportionate to outweigh the benefits of committing crime
What are the criticisms of deterrence theory?
It assumes we are rational thinkers and weigh up consequences
Hardened repeat offenders do exist, despite swift punishment (e.g whilst on probation)
What is the idea behind the panoptican model?
That it is a total institution with rigid timetable designed to create an obedient subject who functions automatically under authority
Who conceptualized the Panoptican model?
Bentham
How is the classical school relevant/used today?
Proportionality is used - with maximum and minimum sentences
Deterrence is still an aim of today’s sentencing
Neo-classicism brought the resurgence of similar ideas in 1970s - rational choice theory is one
Who suggested rational choice theory? When?
Clarke and Cornish, 1985
What is rational choice theory?
Lots of potential offenders weighing up costs/benefit/risk which prevents them from committing crime
We should reduce opportunity for these to commit crime and aim to understand thought process immediately before crime is committed
