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13 Cards in this Set
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Actus reus |
In legal terms, whether the offender actually engaged in a given criminal act. This concept can be contrasted with mens rea, which is a concept regarding whether the offender had the intent to commit a given act. This concept is important, especially in situations in which juveniles or mentally disabled individuals engage in offending. |
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Age of enlightenment |
A period of the late 17th to 18th century in which philosophers & scholars began to emphasize the rights of individuals in society. This movement emphasized the rights of individuals to have a voice in their government & to exercise free choice: it also included the idea of the social contract & other important assumptions that influenced our current govt. & CJ system. |
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Brutalization effect |
The predicted tendency of homicides to Increase after an execution, particularly after high profile executions. |
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Certainty of punishment |
Is one of the key elements of deterrence: the assumption us that when people commit a crime, they will perceive a high likelihood of being caught and punished. |
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Deterrence theory |
Theory of crime associated wi fb the classical school which proposes that individuals will make rational decisions regarding their behavior. This theory focuses on 3 concepts. The individuals perception of: 1) certainty of punishment. 2) severity of punishment. 3) the swiftness of punishment |
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General deterrence |
Punishments given to an individual are meant to prevent or deter other potential offenders from engaging in such criminal activity in the future. |
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Mens rea |
In legal terms, this means guilty mind or intent. This concept involved whether or not offenders actually knew what they were doing and meant to do it. |
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Neoclassical school |
Is virtually identical to the classical school (both assume free will, rationality, social contract, Deterrence) except that is assumes that aggravating & mitigati ng circumstances should be taken into account for purposes of sentencing/punishing an offender. |
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Severity of punishment |
One of the key elements of deterrence: the assumption that a given punishment must be serious enough to outweigh any potential benefits gained from a crime (but not too severe, so that it causes people to commit far more severe offenses to avoid apprehension) in other words, thus theoretical concept advises graded penalties that increase as the offender recidivates/reoffends. |
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Social contract |
An enlightenment ideal/assumption that stipulates there is an unspecified arrangement among citizens of a society in which they promise the state/govt not to commit offenses against other citizens (to follow rules o society) and in turn they gain protection from being violated by other citizens: violators will be punished. |
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Specific deterrence |
Punishments given to an individual are meant to prevent or deter that particular Individual from committing crime in the future. |
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Swiftness of punishment
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Is one of the key elements of deterrence: the assumption that the faster the punishment occurs after a crime is committed, the more an individual will be deterred in the future. |
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Utilitarianism |
A philosophical concept that is often applied to social policies of the classical school of criminology, which relates to the greatest good for the greatest number. |
