Crime and Social Control

Crime Definition: An act that is labeled as such by those in authority, is prohibited by law, and is punishable by the government. Crimes are not always defined as “bad” Types of Crime: Violent, Property, Victimless, White-Collar, Organized, Cyber, Hate, and Terror

Violent Crime Murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault

Crimes Against Property Burglary, larceny, auto theft, and arson

Victimless Crime Prostitution, gambling, illegal drug use, and vagrancy “Harm no one but the person committing the act”

White-Collar Crime Crimes committed by “respectable” individuals, often while they practice their occupations to include embezzling money, insider trading, laundering money, etc.

Organized Crime Crimes committed within an organized crime syndicate. Crime syndicate: Large-scale organization of professional criminals that control some vice or business through violence or threat of violence.

Terrorism An attack on people designed to frighten society and force it to meet terrorists’ demands

Additional Types of Crime Cybercrime: Use of the Internet to commit crime to include phishing scams, identity theft, etc. Hate Crime: Criminal act committed by an offender motivated by bias against race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability status

SOCIAL CONTROL The Criminal Justice System

police, courts, and corrections

Corrections 2.2 million people are in jail or prison in the United States Sanctions that are used to punish criminals Include imprisonment, parole, and probation Social Protection: Criminals are off the streets and unable to commit further crimes

Corrections Proposed goals of incarceration

Retribution Punishment for breaking a rule is loss of liberty and some citizenship privileges Punishment serves as an act of revenge for victim and society Con: Cannot make jail worse for those that commit worse crimes

Deterrence Threat of prison decreases the likelihood of a first offense Memory of prison deters people from future crimes Con: Recidivism

Recidivism Recidivism: Habitual relapse into crime Repeated criminal behavior Between 30-50% of people released from prison commit new crimes Prison is just an “occupational hazard” for some

Rehabilitation Rehabilitation programs offer job training, drug therapy, and academic courses Con: Not many rehab programs are actually offered and/or they are understaffed or underfunded

Social Protection Criminals are off the streets, and unable to commit further crimes Con: Short sentences and criminals receive “expert training” while in prison