SOC225 Chapter 15: Chapter 15 - Deterrence, Routine Activity and Rational Choice Theories
13 Sep 2015
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Severe enough that people don"t find law-breaking to be in their best interest. The law/police is an effective deterrent for small crimes (ex. speeding) Increasing the length of prison sentences (severity) doesn"t reduce crime certainty of punishment is more important than severity. Ex. the number of harassing phone calls decreased after caller id was introduced penalty for harassment hadn"t changed but there was a greater chance the caller could be identified and charged. Prisons increase the chance people will commit crime in the future because: Stigma of being a criminal decreases opportunities for individual in the non-criminal world (labeling) Individual can adjust to the prison life no longer scared of prison. Can learn criminal skills and values in prison. Ex. threat of facing adult penalties didn"t deter young offenders when they turned 18. Three strike law: min. sentence of 25 years if convicted for a felony 3 times (california)
