The Basics
Behavior that departs from the social norms, values and beliefs
What is deviant behavior
While the Mosaic Code is the basis for the U.S. legal system, the concept of criminal law has been recognized more than 3,000 years ago named after the king of Babylon where severity of punishment was dependent upon class standing
What is the Code of Hammurabi
The guilty mind that refers to an individual's state of mind at the time of the act or the person's intent to commit the crime
What is mens rea
According to Jeremy Bentham, people choose to act when, after weighing costs and benefits, they believe that their actions will bring them an increase in pleasure and a reduction in pain
What is utilitarian calculus
The view that human behavior is modeled through observation of human social interactions
What is social learning theory
While criminal justice is the field of study that focuses on law enforcement, the legal system, corrections, and other agencies, this is the scientific study of the nature, extent, origin and control of crime in society
What is criminology
Procedural law sets basic rules such as rules of evidence, the law of arrest, the law of search & seizure, questions of appeal, jury selection and the right to counsel, yet this branch defines crimes and their punishment
What is substantive criminal law
Part I crimes such as murder, rape, assault, robbery, burglary, arson, larceny and motor vehicle theft are also known as
What are Index crimes
This classical criminologist stated that punishment must be proportional to the seriousness of crime, if not, people would be encouraged to commit more serious offenses
Who is Cesare Beccaria
Theoretical views that criminal behavior is controlled by a master trait, present at birth or soon after, that remains stable and unchanging throughout a person's lifetime
What is latent trait theory
The consensus view is the belief that the majority of citizens in a society share common ideals and crimes are acts that are outlawed because they conflict with the rules of the majority and are repugnant to all elements of society; while this view depicts society as a collection of diverse groups and those who maintain social power will use it to further their own needs
What is conflict view
A violation of societal rules of behavior as interpreted and expressed by a criminal legal code created by people holding social and political power, where people that violate these rules are subject to sanctions by state authority, social stigma, and loss of status. This is a political, social, and economic function of modern life.
What is crime
Large database, compiled by the FBI of crimes reported and arrests made each year throughout the United States that uses three methods to express crime data
What is the Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
The view that crime is a function of a decision-making process in which the potential offender weighs the potential costs and benefits of an illegal act
What is rational choice theory
According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, a developmental theory that modifies social control theory by integrating concepts from biosocial, psychological, routine activities and rational choice theories
What is General Theory of Crime (GTC)
A view that behaviors harmful to other people and society in general must be controlled. These acts are usually outlawed, but some acts are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco consumption
What is social harm
Mala prohibitum are acts that are outlawed because they clash with current norms and public opinion, such as tax, traffic & drug laws, whereas rape, murder, assault and robbery violate basic moral values and are considered inherently evil
This comprehensive information compiled by the Justice Department and the U.S. Census Bureau about victims, offenders, and crimes
What is the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
The view that criminality is a product of abnormal biological and/or psychological elements
What is trait theory
A view of criminal career formation that holds there are multiple paths to crime
What is trajectory theory
This view is similar to another view of crime that suggests that behavior is outlawed and considered criminal when people are offended that hold social, economic and political power, yet this view does not attribute capitalism & political motives in defining crime
What is the interactionist view
A felony is serious offense that is punishable by a prison sentence or capital punishment that is also categorized as a mala in se act such as rape, murder, or burglary; whereas a minor or petty crime, typically punished by a fine, community sentence, or a jail term
What is a misdemeanor
According to Wolfgang, a delinquent person responsible for more than half of all serious crimes, who is arrested five or more times before he or she is 18 and stands a good chance of becoming an adult criminal
What is a chronic offender
Branch of social structure theory that sees crime as a function of the conflict between people's goals and the means available to obtain them
What is strain theory
A criminal enterprise that involves the planning and execution of the distribution of illicit materials or services by groups or networks of individuals working in more than one country
What is transnational organized crime