Criminology Test 1

Focuses on lawbreaking, the nature, extent, and causes of crime.

Actus: guilty act
Mens: guilty mind

Mala in se: Crimes that are wrong in themselves
Mala prohibita: Crimes that are wrong cause they are prohibitted

Micro: why some individuals engage in crime and others do not
Macro: attemps to explain differences in groups

Statutory law, Case law, and constitutional law

Classical and Positivist School of Crime.

Experimental: show cause and effect and exclude spuriousness, key is random assignment of the subjects.
Nonexperimental: Most used, consists of mostly surveys and questionares.

C: crime is a result of a rational decision based on calculation of costs and benefits. Punishment should be swift, certain, and severe.

P: criminal behavior is based on biology, social, or psychological factors. Criminals should be treated, punishment should fit the crime.

Humans seek pleasure in a rational, calculating manner.

UCR: annual report by FBI cosisting of crimes reported to and uncovered by the police.
NCVS: survey conducted by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics that attempts to discover unreported crime.

Only the highest crime will be counted into UCR

JD: justification of punishment that emphasizes the pain caused and thus earned by the criminal.
R: justification of punishment that suggests taht criminals deserve punishment.
I: Use of Prison and death penalty to remove criminals from society to prevent future crime.

General: deter the public
Specific: deter specific person

Criminals will choose crime when the benefits outweigh the risks
Not all crimes are rational, little evidence

For a crime to occur three things must converge, a suitable target, a motivated offender, absence of a capable guardian