Popular Crime Theory Vs Classical Theory

In the late eighteenth century the classical theory was a popular crime theory which argued free will when committing crime. It says the committing crime reaps greater rewards than the consequences of committing the crime later on. However since then the positive theory suggests that free will does not exist when a person commits a crime. Instead genetics, individual differences, social upbringing, biological factors and cognitive structure are taken into account. Positive theory suggests that crime can be reduced with treatments on individual and social levels. Whereas the classical theory suggests that extreme forms of correction are an acceptable form of discipline. This includes petty crimes which could be punishable by death. Today the
Firstly he used data from a wide range of abnormalities found on criminals at the time, both living and dead. Their weight height and strength were focused on along with abnormalities to facial features including nose and ear size. In further studies he also looked at criminal’s tattoos and word choices (F. Cullen, 2010). During this time it is said that the average criminal would have abnormalities in some way and can be picked out due to them. This could be seen as a highly ineffective way of distinguishing a criminal because even the most innocent of people have abnormalities which single them out. Today’s society has changed and we now know that anyone could be a criminal. Although some people would not like to think so, it is common for people to hold prejudice and even go further as to discriminate people who have tattoos by labelling them as a ‘criminal
The law must boldly outline the penalties associated with committing crime to warn them off of a criminal lifestyle. Any punishment that is too harsh is unfair however if a punishment is too soft then people will commit the crime because the benefits outweigh the costs. (Ihekwoaba D. Onwudiwe, 1959) There needs to be a happy medium in order for the criminal justice system to work. The maximum jail sentence for a person committing a domestic burglary under section nine of the theft act 1968 is six years in police custody. Many people will not get the full six year sentence because they show remorse or get released on good behaviour. Six years is a long time for a person to go to prison for burglary which causes people to re consider stealing, however it still happens because people know that they can get out on good behaviour and that the maximum prison sentence is hardly ever given any more. (Council,