CRM/LAW C115 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Elmira Correctional Facility, Drug Possession, Sentenced
27 Jan 2017
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We lock up joe because of the crimes he will commit if left free. We lock up joe because his crime is so heinous that society wishes to show its contempt: retribution. We lock up joe because we think that it will change his behavior: rehabilitation. We lock up joe because we want to teach him and others a lesson: deterrence. It is mostly dictated by state legislatures: they decide what crimes will be punished, how, and how often. Based o(cid:374) (cid:449)hat goal of pu(cid:374)ish(cid:373)e(cid:374)t the(cid:455) e(cid:374)dorse a(cid:374)d (cid:449)ho (cid:373)u(cid:272)h the(cid:455) (cid:272)a(cid:374) (cid:862)afford(cid:863) Major differences across the nation on percentage of people convicted who go to prison. It is a policy choice: dictated by local politics, resources available, and culture. Punishment preferences reflect thinking about why people commit crime. Everyone has strong opinions about crime and criminals: theories of punishment come from theories of crime. General explanations for crime: biological determinism, rational choice, sociological determinism, conflict theory.
