Criminology ch 4 notes - Rational Choice Theory PDF

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Rational Choice Theory...

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Chapter 4: Rational Choice Theory Development of Rational Choice Theory  Classical Criminology o Roots of rational choice theory o Developed by Cesare Beccaria  Thinking about crime o James Q. Wilson o More contemporary version of classical theory based on intelligent thought processes and criminal decision making Concepts of Rational Choice  Evaluating the risks of crime o Crime is avoided when risks outweigh rewards  Offense-specific crime  Offender-specific crime  Structuring criminality o Peers and guardianship o Need for excitement and thrills o Economic need/opportunity o Competence and experience  Structuring crime o Choosing the place of crime o Choosing targets o Getting away

Is Crime Truly Rational  It is easy to illustrate that crimes are products of rational, objective thought when they involve ongoing criminal conspiracy for economic gain.  Analyzing rational choice theory o Self-interest and social concern Situational Crime Prevention  Situational Crime Prevention o Seeks to reduce immediate and particular criminal opportunities o Criminal acts can be prevented if:  Potential targets are carefully guarded  The means to commit crime are controlled  Potential offenders are carefully monitored o Defensible space o CRAVED model  Crime Prevention Strategies o Increase the effort needed to commit crime o Increase the risk of committing crime o Reduce rewards of crime o Induce guilt: increase shame o Reduce provocation o Remove excuses  Evaluating Situational Crime Prevention o Hidden benefits  Diffusion  Discouragement

o Hidden Costs  Displacement  Extinction  Replacement General Deterrence  Fear of criminal penalties convinces potential law violator that pains of crime outweigh its benefits  Perception and Deterrence  The actual chance and the perception that punishment will be forthcoming influence criminality  Some individuals and classes of offenders are more deterrable than others  Marginal and Restrictive Deterrence o Marginal deterrence refers to relative effectiveness of punishments o Restrictive deterrence (partial deterrence) refers to situations in which the threat of punishment can reduce but not eliminate the frequency, severity, and duration of a crime  Punishment and Deterrence o Certainty of Punishment  Research shows a direct relationship between crime rates and certainty of punishment  Police and certainty of punishment o Severity of Punishment  Certainty, rather than severity, is key to deterring criminal behaviors

o Swiftness of Punishment  Applied rapidly and closely linked to crime  Evaluating General Deterrence o Rationality o System effectiveness o Criminal discount punishments o Some offenders – and some crimes – are more “deterrable than others” Specific Deterrence  The view that criminal sanctions should be so powerful that offenders will never repeat their criminal acts o Longer incarceration may delay recidivism  Harshest treatment may increase rather than reduce crime  Punishment may breed defiance rather than deterrence  Stigma of harsh punishment labels people  Harshest punishments may cause psychological problems  Effect is negligible in neighborhoods where almost everyone has a criminal record Incapacitation  Incapacitation Effect o The idea that keeping offenders in confinement will eliminate their risk of them committing further offenses

o More than one in every one hundred adults is behind bars o There have been periods of time where increases in incarceration rates increased while overall crime was decreasing o Other times, crime rates increase coincided with increasing incarceration rates Criminal Justice and Rational Choice Theory  Focused crackdowns are more effective than routine police patrols  Focused deterrence activates or pulls every deterrent “lever”  “Three-strikes and you’re out laws” o Appeals to public sentiments but maybe a premature method Theory

Major Premise

Strengths

Research Focus

Rational choice

Law-violating behavior occurs after offenders weigh information on their personal needs and the situational factors involved in the difficulty and risk of committing a crime.

Explains why highrisk people do not constantly engage in crime. Relates theory to crime control policy. It is not limited by class or other social variables.

Offences patternswhere, when, and how crime takes place.

People will commit crime if they perceive that the benefits outweigh the risks. Crime is a

Shows the relationship between crime and punishment. Suggests a real

Perception of punishment, effect of legal sanctions, probability of

General deterrence

function of the severity, certainty, and speed of punishment.

Specific Deterrence

solution to crime

If punished is severe Provides a strategy enough, criminals will not repeat their to reduce crime illegal acts.

Keeping known Incapacitatio criminals out of circulation will n reduce crime rates

Recognizes the role that opportunity plays in criminal behavior. Provides a solution to chronic offending.

punishment, and crime rates.

Recidivism, repeat offending, punishment type, and crime

Prison population and crime rates, sentence length, and crime....