Criminology Chapter 1 PDF

Crime and Violence in The Bahamas Tuesday, January 14, 2025 6:49 PM Some Bahamian stats are: - There were 119 murders in 2024. - The crime rate is down 6%. - The murder rate is up 13%. - The attempted murder rate is down 19%. - The armed robbery rate is down 26%. - Major crimes have d...

Crime and Violence in The Bahamas Tuesday, January 14, 2025 6:49 PM Some Bahamian stats are: - There were 119 murders in 2024. - The crime rate is down 6%. - The murder rate is up 13%. - The attempted murder rate is down 19%. - The armed robbery rate is down 26%. - Major crimes have decreased by 2%. - Crimes against the property decreased by 9% - Housebreaking has declined - Solvency rate is up. - Homicides increased by 8% with 128 incidents, compared to 119 in 2022. - Nissans (Notes, Marches, are the most stolen vehicles. - Motive behind murders: gang affiliation, retaliation The former Commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police Force is Clayton Fernander, The Commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police Force is Shanta Knowles. The weapons of choice in The Bahamas are: 9mm guns, knives and blunt objects. - Royal Bahamas Police Force ○ Ministry of National Security - More people in the ER for knives wounds that gunshot wounds Shopbreaking vs Housebreaking vs Burglary - Shopbreaking - breaking into a business establishment between the hours of 7AM to 5PM - Housebreaking/Burglary - breaking into a house 5:01PM - 6:59 AM Shotspotter - used to detect gunshots Chapter 1 Page 1 Crime and Criminology Tuesday, January 14, 2025 6:52 PM Crime is any action that goes against law. It is punishable under criminal law, as determined by the majority of a society or some cases, a powerful minority It is considered an offense against society as a whole and prosecuted by public officials, not by victims. It is punishable by statutorily determined sanctions that bring about the loss of personal freedom or life. Criminology  The scientific study of the nature, causes and extent of crime and the control of criminal behaviour.  It develops a body of general and verified principles and other types of knowledge regarding this process of law, crime and treatment.  It is concerned with the etiology of the crime, causes and nature of crime and crime patterns and trends. Crime and Deviance  Crime is: ○ punishable under criminal law ○ an offense against society ○ punishable by statutorily determined sanctions ○ bring about the loss of personal freedom or life ○ Rape, murder  Deviance is: ○ The fact or state of departing from usual or accepted standards especially in social or sexual behaviour ○ Behavior, beliefs or conditions viewed by relatively powerful segment ○ Sweethearting, being a communist, passing gas Primary Interests of Criminologists - True nature of law - Crime - Criminal justice Research Methods  Field research  Comparative research  Survey research  Existing data research Chapter 1 Page 2   Existing data research  Historical analysis  Content analysis  Experimental and quasi-experimental research  Longitudinal research  Time series  Meta-analysis and systematic review Kleck/Tark/ Bellows (2006) - Surveys were the most common method of data collection by criminologists. Chapter 1 Page 3 Criminology vs Criminal Justice Wednesday, January 15, 2025 9:45 PM Criminology Criminal Justice Farook and Malik - Married couple Origin, causes and Academic discipline - Pakistani descent nature of crime focusing on the study - Attacked a holiday party of structure, - Killed 14 people and injured 22 functions and - No criminal history, worked at health department; some issues at work but processes of agencies nothing major that deal with crime - College graduates management - Shy and withdrawn Crime patterns and Law enforcement - Homegrown American terrorists; not directly linked to any foreign group trends - Inspired by ISIS Extent of crime Judiciary Control of criminal Corrections behaviour Law Enforcement - RBPF - RBDF - Customs - Immigration - BDOCS Judiciary - Privy Council - Court of Appeal - Supreme Court - Magistrate's Court Corrections - BDOCS AKA Her Majesty's Prison - Hon. Wayne Munroe - Minister of National Security Chapter 1 Page 4 The Criminological Enterprise Wednesday, January 15, 2025 11:11 PM Criminology is a multi-disciplinary (encompasses different fields of academic discipline) science. (list 4 + explain 2) 1. Sociology - explores how social structures and cultural norms influence criminal behavior. 2. Psychology - studies individual behavior, mental health, and motives behind crime. 3. Biology - examines genetic, neurological and physiological factors contributing to crime. 4. History - provides insight into the evolution of crime, punishment and legal systems over time. 5. Math - analyzes crime trends and patterns through statistical methods and predictive models. 6. Economics -investigates the economic causes and effects of crime, like poverty or financial crime. 7. Religion - examines how moral and ethical beliefs shape laws and rehabilitation efforts. 8. Law - defines the legal framework for identifying, addressing and punishing crime. 9. Architecture - studies how physical space design can deter or encourage criminal activity 10. Political Science - analyzes how policies, governance and political ideologies affect crime. 11. Criminal Justice - applies criminological theories in systems like policing, courts and corrections. Specialties: The Criminological Enterprise 1. Criminal statistics/Crime measurement  gathering valid crime data  devising new research methods  measuring crime patterns and trends 2. Sociology of Law, Law + Society, Socio-Legal Studies  determining the origin of law  measuring the forces that can change laws and society 3. Theory Construction  predicting individual behavior  understanding the cause of crime rates and trends.  Randy Borum  Research on terrorism  No such thing as a terrorists personality  Marvin Wolfgang  Known for victim precipitation theory, which suggests victims may contribute to the circumstances of their victimization  Conducted the Philadelphia Homicide Study, analyzing patterns in violent crime  Edwin Sutherland  Developed Differential Association Theory: crime is learned through interaction with others  Introduced white-collar crime, focusing on crimes committed by people in higher social classes. 4. Criminal Behaviour Systems  determining the nature and cause of specific crime patterns A booster is a professional thief.  studying violence, theft, organized crime, white-collar crime, and public order crimes 5. Penology: Punishment, Sanctions and Corrections  studying the correction and control of criminal behavior  using the scientific method to assess the effectiveness of criminal sanctions designed Death Penalty - isn't a general deterrent (for to control crime through the application of criminal punishments law abiding citizens); is a specific deterrent 6. Victimology  studying the nature and cause of victimization  aiding crime victims; understanding the nature and extent of victimization; developing **victimologists theories of victimization risk Miller v. Alabama - The Supreme Court relied on social research that conclusively showed that juveniles are not fully capable of anticipating the consequences of their actions. - This finding led the justices to conclude that it would be inappropriate and unconstitutional Chapter 1 Page 5  - This finding led the justices to conclude that it would be inappropriate and unconstitutional for juveniles to receive mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole. - If juveniles have a different mental capacity than adults, it seemed illogical that they should receive the same punishment; this would amount to cruel and unusual punishment. Glossip v. Gross - Justices Breyer and Ginsburg relied on social science research by sociolegal scholar Samuel Gross and his colleagues showing that there is a significant likelihood of a wrongful conviction in death penalty cases. - Capital cases typically involve horrendous murders, and they generate intense community pressure on police, prosecutors, and jurors to secure a conviction. - This pressure creates a greater likelihood of convicting the wrong person. Chapter 1 Page 6 Megan's Law Wednesday, January 15, 2025 11:38 PM Sex Offender Registration - Megan's Law - 7 y/o killed in 1994, New Jersey - Jesse Timmendequas (convicted sex offender) **Marco Alert - Megan's Law - make public: name, alias, picture, address, incarceration date and nature of crime to newspapers or on sex offender's websites Connecticut DPS v. Doe - 2003 A custodial sentence - deprive - This US Supreme Court case addressed whether Connecticut's sex offender registration law offenders of their freedom of violated the procedural due process rights of convicted sex offenders movement by placing them in - The law required individuals convicted of certain sex offenses to register with the state, but institutions like prisons the state did not provide a hearing to determine whether the offender was likely to reoffend. A noncustodial sentence - offenders - The Court ruled that Connecticut's law did not violate due process rights, stating that the have their freedom but are either law was non-punitive and did not require a hearing to assess the risk of reoffending. discharged, fined or given community orders Zgoba and Bachar - 2009 A mandatory sentence - one that the - This research analyzed the impact of Megan's Law in New Jersey, specifically examining judge or magistrate must give to whether public notification of sec offenders led to a decrease in sexual recidivism. someone who has committed a - The study found that public notification statutes did not result in a decrease in sexual or certain offence. general recidivism rates among sex offenders. Levenson and Associates - 2009 - This study investigated public perceptions of sex offender management policies, including community notification and residency restrictions. - The research indicated that public support for these policies was influenced by factors such as fear and misinformation, suggesting that public opinion may not align with empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of such policies. Chapter 1 Page 7 Classical Criminology Thursday, January 16, 2025 10:46 AM Methods of Corporal Punishment 1. Flogging - most popular corporal punishment 2. Whipping - knots and hooks 3. Stocks and pillories 4. Transportation - banished to new colonies 5. Cradle of Judas 6. Opposing horses The Classical Perspective /Rational Choice Perspective Sociological perspective (Sociological Positivism) - Cesare Beccaria - Looking at society and the impact of society - Standardize the way we treat individuals who violate law The Chicago School Influences of the Classical Perspective - Parks, Wirth, Burgess 1. Prisons being used as places of punishment (psychological) - Neighbourhood conditions dictates criminality 2. Influenced judicial philosophy; sentences fit crime (balanced) - Poverty is so high in certain neighbourhoods and they 3. Death penalty still used for murder and treason (serious offenses) become breeding grounds for crime 1. The family is broken down causing social The Four Elements of The Classical Perspective disorientation 1. In every society people have free will to choose what's right and 2. Institutions wrong 3. Church 2. Criminal solutions are more attractive than lawful ones **poverty contributes to (not causes) crime  Greater pay off  Less work 3. The fear of punishment can control behaviour 4. The deterrent equation (must be effective) The Conflict Perspective  swift - Karl Marx's perspective  certain - The Haves  severe ○ Rich ○ few Positivist Perspective - The Have Nots - Looks at science ○ Poor - Claims that people's behaviour is a result of internal ○ Large majority forces (things we can't control) and therefore we need - Because of the divide and income inequality there to find another way to punish Phillipe Pinel will always be crime ○ Class - Psychopathic personality - No remorse ○ Psych challenges - Alternative methods: rehabilitation, force Developmental Criminology sterilization,  Sheldon and Eleanor Gleuck integrated sociological, - Cesare Lombroso; positivist criminologist psychological and economic elements into a complex developmental view of crime causation Executed criminals (men) were uncivilized and had these  Initiation and continuity of a criminal career was a traits: developmental process influenced by both external 1. Long arms and internal situations , conditions and 2. Big jaws circumstances. 3. Big canine teeth 4. Excessive body hair 5. More aggressive - Phrenologists - Physiognomist Chapter 1 Page 8 Perspective and Cause of Crime Tuesday, January 21, 2025 10:33 AM Perspective Cause of Crime Function of Crime Classical/Choice Situational forces Crime is a function of free will and personal choice. Punishment is a deterrent to crime. Biological/Psychological Internal forces Crime is a function of chemical, neurological, genetic, personality, intelligence, or mental traits. Structural Ecological forces Crime rates are a function of neighborhood conditions, cultural forces and norm conflict. Process Socialization Crime is a function of upbringing, learning and forces control. Peers, parents and teachers influence behavior. Conflict Economic and Crime is a function of competition for limited political forces resources and power. Class conflict produces crime Developmental Multiple forces Biological, social-psychological, economic and political forces may combine to produce crime. Values in society to get a piece of the Bahamian pie  Education  Hard work  Thrift Chapter 1 Page 9 How Criminologists View Crime Tuesday, January 21, 2025 10:59 AM The definition of crime affects how criminologists view the cause and control of illegal behavior and shapes their research orientation. Consensus view  The law defines crime.  Agreement exists on outlawed behavior.  Laws apply to all citizens equally. Conflict view  The law is a tool of the ruling class.  Crime is a politically defined concept.  “Real crimes” such as racism, sexism, and classism are not outlawed.  The law is used to control the underclass. Interactionist view  Moral entrepreneurs define crime.  Acts become crimes because society defines them that way.  Criminal labels are life-transforming events. Chapter 1 Page 10 What, Whom and How? Tuesday, January 21, 2025 10:59 AM What to study?  Guided by own scholarly interests, pressing social needs, available data  Influenced by government and institutional funding  Pressured by colleges and universities to bring research funds Whom to study?  Focus is often on poor and minority; ignoring other classes How to study?  Should subjects be told of purpose of research?  Should criminologists deceive subjects to collect data?  Criminologists should never place subjects in harm's way Chapter 1 Page 11