Discussion Questions for Chapter 1 PDF

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Name: Courtney Smith

Discussion Questions for Chapter 1

1

Theory and Crime

Criminology

CJUS 3600.01

1. In what ways do spiritual, sometimes called demonological, explanations of crime still enter the criminal justice system today? 

These spiritual explanations of crime still enter into the criminal justice system today by making its way through our death row penalty and prison systems. While it isn’t near as intense as the earlier years due to rational thought and humanity evolving. Considering things have chance there are still people out there that consider spiritual crime safe and that they should not be punished for following through with something that in their head was done for their God.

2. Provide examples of how a correlation, but not causation, can be found between a given situation and criminality. 1. The number of priests in American compared to the rise in Alcoholism. 2. Homeless population and crime rate might be correlated in the criminal justice system mainly because both tend to be high or low depending on the city or state. In contrast, to say that crime causes homelessness or to say that homeless people cause crime are two completely statements that would need to be backed up with statistics. 3. Using a multifactor approach, create a hypothetical individual with various biological, psychological, and sociological backgrounds. Alter the individual’s attributes and, as you do so, assess how you think the changes would affect the individual’s probability (risk level) of offending. 

Having an individual that is a 15-year-old male in a city that is known for not having the greatest community is more prone to problematic situations coming in and out of his life then a female that was born and raised in the suburbs. She is already given a head start in life because she, not like the male, will be able to make her own decisions and figure out what she wants to do in life without having more obstacles than rewards. Mentally this will begin to play a mental role on the male because no matter what he does he may begin to feel like nothing he does is good enough. Having this mental strain 24/7 can either make or break somebody. He will eventually need to decide if he wants to take the easy way out and coming a product of the prison system, or fight against his odds and pursue a life beyond bars.

4. Consider the three frames of reference: classical, positivistic, and theories of the behavior of criminal law. What assumptions does each of these theories make about human nature? To what kind of criminal justice policies does each of the theories point?

Name: Courtney Smith

2

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Classical Criminology lessened the use of Capital Punishment and was the beginning of the Prison System. This paradigm had a connection with the Spiritual Explanations. The basis behind Classical Criminology was to isolate criminals so they become “penitent” and reflect on wrongs that they committed in the past. They gave them this time to reflect on wrongdoings by providing them with manual labor, 3 square meals a day, and a Bible.

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Positivist Criminology was the philosophy that knowledge is accessible and not in need of any negating.

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Each Paradigm focuses on the development of Paradigm’s focus build up to make the theory that it may fall under. Each Paradigm will have its own theories and methods that make up their own “view.”...