Criminal justice and crime have both been theorised in various different methods. These various methods include crime and punishment, the theory of inspection and surveillance, criminal typing and the theory of the normal and pathological.
One method where crime and criminal justice has been theorised is through the theory of crime and punishment. One of the most significant theorists being Cesare Baccaria (1764). Baccaria was a leading theorist in what is known as the Classical School and he arguably made the most significant contribution to the crime and punishment theory. Baccaria argued that human behaviour was purposeful and was based on what is known as the pleasure-pain principle. As quoted in Newburn “The more likely one is to be …show more content…
Cesare Lombroso’s (1835-1909) theory of criminal typing was based on the theory of what is known as the “born criminal”. In addition to this, Lombroso disputed that any individual who had more than five of his “biological traits” are naturally born a criminal. “Lombroso’s traits of born criminals are an unusual size or head shape, strange eyes, facial asymmetry, extended jaw/jaw bone, full lips, abnormal teeth, wrinkled skin, nose curled up (flat nose- thief/beak nose- murderer), dark skin and arms that were too long” ( (Unknown, 2017). However, these were not the only physical traits of being born a criminal. Furthermore, Lombroso also contended that if you had “hypersensitivity to pain/touch, use of criminal slang, grotesque expression of thoughts, tattoos or unemployment were also traits of being born a criminal” you were a natural born criminal. (Unknown, 2017). In years to come, Lombroso changed his idea of being born a natural criminal and began to dispute a different theory which involved categorizing criminals into three separate categories- born criminals, Criminaloids and ‘pseudo criminals’. Lombroso argued that his results showed that born criminals made up an estimated 30% of the criminal population. Lombroso thought born criminals were what he described as ‘abnormal’ and went as far as labelling them imbeciles and even alcoholics. Occasional criminals known
One method where crime and criminal justice has been theorised is through the theory of crime and punishment. One of the most significant theorists being Cesare Baccaria (1764). Baccaria was a leading theorist in what is known as the Classical School and he arguably made the most significant contribution to the crime and punishment theory. Baccaria argued that human behaviour was purposeful and was based on what is known as the pleasure-pain principle. As quoted in Newburn “The more likely one is to be …show more content…
Cesare Lombroso’s (1835-1909) theory of criminal typing was based on the theory of what is known as the “born criminal”. In addition to this, Lombroso disputed that any individual who had more than five of his “biological traits” are naturally born a criminal. “Lombroso’s traits of born criminals are an unusual size or head shape, strange eyes, facial asymmetry, extended jaw/jaw bone, full lips, abnormal teeth, wrinkled skin, nose curled up (flat nose- thief/beak nose- murderer), dark skin and arms that were too long” ( (Unknown, 2017). However, these were not the only physical traits of being born a criminal. Furthermore, Lombroso also contended that if you had “hypersensitivity to pain/touch, use of criminal slang, grotesque expression of thoughts, tattoos or unemployment were also traits of being born a criminal” you were a natural born criminal. (Unknown, 2017). In years to come, Lombroso changed his idea of being born a natural criminal and began to dispute a different theory which involved categorizing criminals into three separate categories- born criminals, Criminaloids and ‘pseudo criminals’. Lombroso argued that his results showed that born criminals made up an estimated 30% of the criminal population. Lombroso thought born criminals were what he described as ‘abnormal’ and went as far as labelling them imbeciles and even alcoholics. Occasional criminals known