Chap 2 SG Flashcards
Classical School
the idea that people have free will and make decisions to commit crimes, and that punishment can deter crime
Hedonstic calculus
weighing the pleasure of committing a crime against the pain of punishment
Panopticon
This was a round building with cells all along the circumference. Guards were in a hub in the center and could see all the cells from this central location
Neoclassical criminology
a theory that builds on classical criminology to explain criminal behavior by focusing on the individual’s rational decision-making process
Nothing works doctrine
a criminological theory that claims rehabilitation programs are ineffective and a waste of money
Justice model
prisons do not rehabilitate or cure offenders, but the criminals deserve to be punished through imprisonment
Rational Choice Theory
Criminals make a conscious, rational, and (at least partially) informed choice to commit crimes (Crime will decrease when opportunities are limited, benefits are reduced, and costs are increased)
Situational Choice Theory
piggybacks off this idea and changes determinism to soft determinism (determinism is the idea that all events are the result of outside forces)
Soft determinism
behavior is the result of choices and decisions made within a context of situational constraints and opportunities
Seductions of crime
This is the idea that crime is pleasurable for criminals that seeking out that pleasure is a good motivation for offending (a book and a concept)
Situational crime prevention
Instead of concentrating on making people not want to steal anymore, we can concentrate on making it harder. We can change the environment that makes crime possible
Target hardening
a crime control method that makes it more difficult for criminals to victimize people by modifying environments and behaviors
Just desserts model
a criminal deserves punishment after choosing to offend, and that punishment should be as bad as the harm caused by the offense (Serious crime=serious punishment)
Deterrence
the theory that the threat of punishment will discourage people from committing crimes or re-offending
SD- Punish me harshly and I will fear a repeat of the same consequence and will not commit future crimes
GD- Punish me harshly to project to other people that the consequences are to be feared and they won’t commit the crime
Specific deterrence
General deterrence
Recidivism
If I do offend again after being caught
Recidivism rate
The number of offenders that reoffend after being caught
Capital punishment
the practice of sentencing a convicted offender to death for a serious crime, and then carrying out that sentence
Determinate sentencing
taking the discretion out of the system and making your sentence = your sentence (sentence with a fixed length that cannot be changed by a parole board or other agency)
Truth in sentencing
you have to do a large part (80-85%) of your sentence before you can be released. Good time can only get you so far
Incapacitation
locking you up so you can’t offend
Displacement
when criminal activity is relocated in response to crime prevention efforts
According to classical criminology, what three things need to be there for deterrence to be effective?
It has to be swift, certain, and severe to work!
What were the three strikes laws?
The law significantly increases felony prison sentences for those with multiple violent crimes or serious felonies, restricting their ability to receive a non-life sentence