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Midterm 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Desistance

A

-Crime rates decline as offenders age
-Also known as aging out process

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2
Q

Concepts from choice theory

A

-Situational crime prevention
-General deterrence
-Specific deterrence
-Incapacitation

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3
Q

Utilitarianism

A

Society must provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people

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4
Q

Core concepts of classical/choice theory

A

-Utilitarianism
-People choose their behavior
-Give up freedom for security
-Social contracts
-law should not govern morality
-Presumption of innocence
-Graduated and limited punishments
-Swift, certain and severe punishers

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5
Q

Jeremy Bentham

A

-Popularized Beccaria’s work and brought her ideas to Britain
-All law should produce and support the total happiness of the community it serves
-Punishment has 4 main objectives
-Panopticon

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6
Q

Four main objectives of punishment

A

1) To prevent all criminal offenses
2) Convince the offender to commit the least serious crime possible
3) Ensure that a criminal uses no more force than necessary
4) Prevent crime as cheaply as possible

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7
Q

Panopticon

A

-Theoretical crime structure
-All participants can be observed without being known
-“Circular building with officers in the center hidden from the offenders”
-Prisoners are aware that the officers can be watched at any time but cannot see through the other side
-Assumption that they are always being watched
-Choices governed by risk of detection

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8
Q

Classical theory in law

A

-First adapted in 1789 in France (Post revolution)
-In our charter of rights
-Stopped using torture after 19th century
-Rise in incarceration but graduated or proportional punishment was often not used in the legal system
resurgence in 1970’s

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9
Q

James Q Wilson

A

-Political scientist who tried to debunk positivist perspectives
-Argued that poverty/social conditions do not cause crime; we should not attempt to influence or change crime through social supports

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10
Q

Offence specific crime

A

-An illegal act committed by offenders reacting selectivity to characteristics of particular offenses, assessing opportunity and guardianship
-Eg) Burglary involves evaluating targets assets, getaway car, probability of capture from police

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11
Q

Offender specific crime

A

-An illegal act committed by offenders who do not usually engage in random acts, but who evaluate their skill at accomplishing the crime
-Crime is an event and criminality is a trait
-Criminals do not constantly commit crimes and everyone, on occasion, is capable of violating the law

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12
Q

Economic cirumstances

A

-Desistance will occur if earnings from crime will be relatively low and if there is a legal opportunity
-Perception of risk: Desistance will occur if the risks are greater than the potential profits

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13
Q

Agnew

A

People who choose a criminal lifestyle over social conformity share traits

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14
Q

Rational choice theory

A

-Crime is a function of a decision making process, in which the potential offender weighs the potential cost and benefits of an illegal act
-Micro perspective (individual)

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15
Q

Routine activities theory

A

-Crime is a normal function of the routine activities of modern living; offenses will occur when a suitable target is not protected by capable guardians
-Marco perspective (Skylight view)
-Interactive effects of motivation (offender), opportunity (Capable gaurdians) and targets (suitable target)

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16
Q

3 variables that constructs crime

A

-Target characteristics
-Location
-Techniques available for completion

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17
Q

Are street crimes rational

A

-Yes because they require a lot of planning
-Risk-cost analysis

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18
Q

Instrumental crimes

A

-Illegal activities committed in order to obtain desired goods that aren’t otherwise attainable through conventional/legitimate means
-“means to an end crimes”
-Violence is NOT instrumental

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19
Q

Choice theory crime control strategies

A

1) Situational crime prevention
2) General deterrence strategies
3) Specific deterrence strategies
4) Incapacitation strategies

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20
Q

Situational crime prevention

A

-Criminal activity is offense specific
-Criminal acts can be avoided with: monitoring, guarded targets, means to commit crimes are controlled
-More home security (Guardianship)
-Defensible space
-CPTED
-Community strategy (Felson)

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21
Q

Defensible space

A

-Crime prevention can be achieved by modifying the environment to reduce opportunities
-Architecual designs that reduce crimes
-Eg) More cameras, automatic lights

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22
Q

CPTED

A

-Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
-Reduces criminal offending

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23
Q

Mixed success

A

-Generic programs that cannot address diversity of criminal behavior

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24
Q

Community strategy

A

-Limited access of motivated offender groups to targets

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25
Issues with situational crime prevention
-Extinction of the effect -Displacement -Moves crime to a place with less guardianship -Short term positive effect, criminals adjust their behavior and tactics and therefore crime continues -Mixed success
26
Guardians VS Handlers VS Managers
-Guardians monitor targets while handlers monitor offenders -Managers monitor places
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2) General Deterrence
-Crime rates are influenced by the threat of criminal punishment -Inverse relationship between crime rate and the certainty, severity, and speed of sanction (Little relationship) -three strikes law, mandatory minimums, harsher sentences
28
Issues with general deterrence
-Criminals may not fear punishment -Certainty of arrest/punishment may be low -Punishment-crime association is group specific and not crime specific -Community based policing strategies -Police crackdowns -Severity of punishment
29
Police crackdowns
-Concentrating police resources on a particular problem area to eradicate or displace community activity -Sudden change in police concentration
30
Severity of punishment
-Short term deterrent effect -Needs to operate alongside certainty -Little evidence to support that increasing punishment results in deterrence -Brutalization effect -Murder is an expressive crime and this prevents rational evaluation of consequences
31
Brutalization effect
-Capital punishment creates an atmosphere of brutality; reinforces violence as a response to provocation -More violence=more crime in population
32
Perceptual deterrence
View that perceived risks of apprehension or threats of punishment can deter active offenders
33
Informal sanctions
-Disapproval of parents, peers, and neighbors directed towards an offender -May be more effective than legal punishments -Social control comes from perceived negative reactions from our friends, family, acquaintances etc
34
Why might punishment increase recidivism
1) Punishment may elicit defiance over deterrence (more in youth) 2) Stigma: locks them in a criminal career
35
Shame as a deterrent
-John braithwaite and redintegrative shaming -Encouraging offenders to confront their misdeeds, experience shame and then rejoin society -Person needs to accept shaming process
36
Japan
-Prosecution will only proceed when we don't see a process of public apology (shame), compensation and forgiveness -Japan is the only nation with a sustained decline in the crime rates over 50 years
37
3) Specific deterrnece
-Majority of known criminals/chronic offenders are not deterred through punishment -Earlier an offender is convicted the more likely they are to recidivate -Uses shame as a deterrent
38
4) Incapacitation strategies
-Canada 110 per 100000 incarcerated -US 700 per 100000 incarcerated -Scandinavian countries 65 per 100000 incarcerated -Omnibus anti-crime Bill -Selective incapacitation
39
Omnibus anti-crime Bill
-2008 -Mandatory sentences for gun related crimes -Raised age of consent from 14 to 16 -Strengthen bail rules -Easier to label offenders a "danger to society"
40
Selective incapacitation
-Policy of creating enhanced prison sentences for small groups of dangerous, chronic offenders
41
Policy implications
1) Those who violate others rights deserve to be punished 2) we should not add to human suffering: Punishment causes suffering 3) Punishment may prevent more misery than it inflicts -Those who violate rights of others deserve to be punished, with severity that reflects the seriousness of the crime -Offenders should be help to the same level of blameworthiness or culpability regardless of what it means for the offense
42
Trait theories
-View that criminals have physical or mental traits that make them abnormal -Not one biological or psychological explanation or attribute -Focus on basic human drives: Aggression, violence, impulsivity -Anti-social behavior -Crime involves both personal traits and environmental factors -Two major divisions 1) Biological 2) Psychological
43
1) Biological theories
-Lombroso and other theorists who believed in born criminals did not use control groups -Traits they assumed were genetic were actually from poor nutrition, toxic environments, poor healthcare -Sociobiology -Modern biological theories -Equipotentiality -Instincts
44
Sociobiology
-Human behavior is motivated by biological urges and desires -Survival and reproduction -Biology, environment and learning are mutually independent factors
45
Modern biological theories
Physical environment and social conditions together produce behavior
46
Equipotentiality
All individuals are equal at birth, and after, are influenced by their environments
47
Biochemical conditions
-Control and influence antisocial behavior -Both genetically predetermined and acquired through diet/environment -Nutritional deficiencies, sugar, hypoglycemia, hormonal influences, PMS, allergies, environmental contaminants
48
Evolutionary views on crime
-Jealousy: Keep families together -Aggression: Gendered development, men benefit from pro-risk while women develop from risk-aversion -r/K theory -Cheater theory
49
r/K Theory
-Organisms exist on a continuum -r-selection individuals: reproduce whenever they can and invest little in their offspring -More deceptive -K selection individuals: reproduce slowly with heavy investment in offspring -More cooperativeC
50
Cheater theory
-Subpopulation of men has evolved with genes that signal low parental involvement -Sexual aggression and deception in reproductive strategies -Men who cheat are more deceitful and therefore more likely to be criminal
51
2) Psychological trait theories
-Mental aspects of offending, association between intelligence, personality, learning and criminal behavior Charles Goring: Defective intelligence (Found no physical difference between innocent and criminal people) -Tarde -Social learning theory
52
Tarde
-People learn from one another through a process of imitation
53
Social learning theory
-View that behavior is modelled on observation of social interactions, direct observation of those who are close, or indirectly through media -Based on desired social position
54
The 3 main psychological trait theories
1) Psychodynamic 2) Behavioral 3) Cognitive
55
1) Psychodynamic (Freud)
-Unconscious personality developed in early childhood will influence behavior for rest of life -Abnormalities from early childhood -Adler "Inferior complex" -Erikson "Identity complex" -Latent deliquency
56
Adler "Inferior complex"
Sense of inadequacy that leads someone to attempt to control others
57
Erikson "identity complex"
-Inner conflict or uncertainty over life roles -Mainly experienced by youth
58
Latent delinquency
-Mental state that predisposes youth psychotically for antisocial behavior 1) Immediate gratification (impulsivity) 2) Value meeting own wants>connecting with others 3) Prioritize own wants>others consideration (lack guilt)
59
2) Behavioral theory
-Human actions are developed through learning experiences -Mental or physical traits may predispose someone to violence, but activation occurs through environmental factors -Behavior can me modelled by family, others in environment or social media -4 factors that help produce violence/aggression
60
Four factors that help produce violence/aggression
1) An event that heightens arousal (provoked, assault, abuse) 2) Aggressive skills from observation (Interpersonal or media) 3) Expected positive outcomes (Belief that aggression will be rewarded) 4) Alignment of behavior and values (belief that violence is justified given the context)
61
Mental illness and crime``
-Many juvenile offenders who commit violent crimes suffer from anxiety/depression -75% of men accused of murder had a form of mental illness -Abusive mothers often have mood or personality disorders -Mental illness and rates of substance abuse -Overrepresentation within CJS -Systematic issues; environmental effect
62
Personality and crime
-Personality: Pattern of behavior, emotions and thoughts that distinguish one person from another -Psychopathy -Sociopathy -Antisocial personality
63
Psychopathy
-Mental disorder characterized by low levels of guilt and anxiety -Superficial charm -Degree of comfort in violating rights of others -Hard to treat due to person just learning how to manipulate better
64
Sociopathy
-Mental disorder characterized by lack of warmth/affection -Inappropriate responses and an inability to learn from experience -No charm -80% of chronic offenders
65
Antisocial personality
-Lack of normal responses to life situations -Inability to learn from punishment and violent reactions to non-threatening events
66

Soc 225 (5 decks)

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