Questions on the Neoclassical Theory of Crime Control - Paper Example

1. Explain the major principles of the Classical School of criminology?

The four major principles of the classical school of criminology are hedonism, rationality, human rights, and punishment. Hedonism assumes that humans seek pleasure as a way of avoiding pain. Rationality implies that people willingly choose to commit crimes and have a free will in the society. The principle of human rights, on the other hand, assumes that all persons have equal rights and people should respect others rights in the community. Torture and unnecessary punishments are prohibited under this principle. Lastly, the principle of punishment proposes that the only way to deter crimes is through punishing people in the society (Valasik, 2013).

2. What is neoclassical criminology and how does it differ from the classical perspective?

Neoclassical criminology is a school of thought guided by the assumption that criminal behavior is individually-minded and situationally complex. It proposes that crimes can be eliminated, deterred, or minimized through enhancing punishments, using firm child-rearing practices, and increasing security measures. The theory reduces specific factors such as poverty, oppression, and blocked opportunities. Neoclassical criminology differs from the classical perspective in various ways. The primary difference is that the classical criminology considers people have rights and punishment must be relative to the crime (Valasik, 2013). Neoclassical criminology, on the other hand, believes that people should be first informed of the reason for their imprisonment and should be protected from actions that may harm them. They are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty (Van den Haag, 1986).

3. Explain the role of punishment in neoclassical criminology.

Punishment in this school of thought primarily acts as a prevention mechanism for future criminal activities. Future criminal activity is deterred by using severe punishment for current crimes to act as a lesson. Secondly, punishment in the form of retribution aims at removing the desire for personal advancement among the assault victims while restitution punishment aims at punishing the criminal financially. Lastly, punishment is used as a way of altering a persons behavior through being incarcerated or parole (Van den Haag, 1986). These punishments play a significant role in achieving fair treatment of criminals while ensuring behavioral change.

4.Do you believe that offenders who are identified as dangerous should be treated differently from other offenders? If so, how and why?

Dangerous offenders should be treated differently from other offenders. Compared to other wrongdoers, they pose a severe hazard to both psychological and physical well-being of the community. Therefore, they should be subjected to into indeterminate prison sentence because they are harmful to all individuals in the society including children, the sick, and the elderly. Preferably, the offender should be put on a life sentence or for a period long enough trigger behavior change and no longer pose risks to the public. In many instances, dangerous offenders should not undergo regular sentencing because it may not be useful. Long-term convictions are required but should not infringe the rights of the offenders.

5. How does Jack Katz explain criminal behavior? DO you agree? If so, why?

Jack Katz believes that criminals commit crimes in expectation of making money. He explains that criminals seek sensual experience in addition to material rewards and commit a crime to defend what they think is right. Furthermore, he states that the criminals try to justify their actions if they feel a violation of their rights and they are lack premeditation. I agree with Jack Katz sentiments because in most cases criminals believe in righteous slaughter although they fail to justify their sentiments. They end up being apprehended because most of their crimes occur at homes where they do not attempt to escape. These criminals should however not be subjected to severe punishment.

References

Valasik, M. (2013). Classical Criminology. The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 1-5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118517383.wbeccj041.

Van den Haag, E. (1986). The neoclassical theory of crime control. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 1(1), 91-109.