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UI 309

UI 309. Carol Veneziano. Definition of crime. Crime is an act or the omission of an act In violation of the penal codes without defense or justification sanctioned by the state as a felony or misdemeanor. Is the U.S. crime prone?. Murder 4 times the rate of Italy

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UI 309

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  1. UI 309 Carol Veneziano

  2. Definition of crime • Crime is an act • or the omission of an act • In violation of the penal codes • without defense or justification • sanctioned by the state as a felony or misdemeanor

  3. Is the U.S. crime prone? • Murder • 4 times the rate of Italy • 9 times the rate in England • 11 times the rate in Japan

  4. Is the United States too lenient? Highest incarceration rate in the world • U.S. 426/100,000 people • South Africa 333/100,000 • Great Britain 97/100,000 • The U.S. incarcerates at similar rates for violent crimes • We incarcerate at significantly higher rates for nonviolent crimes

  5. Why is the U.S. crime-prone? • Large underclass • Urban areas in which poor and wealthy live in close proximity • Racism • Failure of the educational system • Troubled American family • Culture that defines success in terms of material wealth • Easy access to handguns

  6. Crime, morality and deviance • Some acts defined as crimes might be considered moral ( I.e., protesting) Some unethical acts might not be considered crimes (ignoring someone in danger) • Although there is considerable overlap, crime and morality are not always the same • Similarly, although many acts we call deviant are crimes, not all deviant acts are crimes

  7. Criminology • SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF THE NATURE, EXTENT, CAUSE AND CONTROL OF CRIMINAL AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR • Description: how many crimes, what types? • Prediction: when and where will crime occur? Who will commit it? • Control: How might crime be decreased? • Explanation: What causes crime?

  8. Interdisciplinary nature • Sociology • Political Science • Psychology • Criminal Justice • Economics • Anthropology • Biology - Genetics, Neuroscience

  9. Criminal Justice • Scientific study of the agencies of social control which deal with crime and delinquency • Agencies: Police, courts and corrections • Distinction between criminology and criminal justice

  10. Subareas of criminology • Criminal Statistics: amount and trends of criminal activity • Sociology of law: role social forces play in shaping criminal law, and the role of criminal law in shaping society • Theory construction: explanations of crime causation • Criminal behavior systems

  11. Subareas (continued) • Penology: correction and control of known criminal offenders • Victimology: study of the victims of crime

  12. History of criminology • Preliterate societies • Early criminal codes • Inconsistent justice • 1700s--the Enlightenment • Development of concept of democracy • Emphasis on rationality and scientific thinking

  13. History (continued) • Classical criminology • 1800s : Positivism • Biological explanations (Lombroso) • Development of Psychology and Sociology • 1900s: Sociology predominates • Social process and social structure theories • 1970s: re-emergence of classical

  14. History (continued) • Re-emergence of Psychology • Increase in crime rate and fear of crime • Disenchantment with rehabilitation • Increase in incarceration rates • 1980s: Increase in drug use and lethal gang violence • 1990s: search for alternatives

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