Individual Trait Theory, also referred to as, Trait Theory, is a criminological theory based on the personality of an individual. Within this theory, it is said that certain personality traits are the cause and the reason one may be predisposed to committing a crime. Within the article, Individual Trait Criminological Theories and Criminal Activity, it begins by briefly describing the work of Francis Cullen and Robert Agnew. Researching why someone may commit a crime, they concluded that genetics, as well as biological harms of a non-genetic nature play a factor into the development of traits that makes someone more prone to the life of crime. For instance, an example of a biological harm may be a mother abusing drugs when she is pregnant,
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To begin, the similarities between the two nations is the fact that both America and Japan have a growing elderly population in their jails and prisons. In addition, both nations are taking a step forward in creating prisons that can accommodate this populace – America with the universal design and Japan creating facilities with elevators, ramps, handrails, and trained medical and nursing personnel. Lastly, it states that most prisons in Japan do not have full-time doctors, that is also seen in America, where fellow inmates receive training in order to tend to the elderly inmates. As for differences, Japan requires inmates, even if they are old, to provide forced labor. Moreover, the crimes committed by elders within the States and Japan are completely opposite. In America, most elders commit violent crimes or Part I offenses that result in long prison sentences, but in Japan, their offenders commit non-violent crimes that fall under Part II offenses like fraud. Additionally, since such a small population of Japanese offenders commit violent crimes, it is extremely common for offenders to re-offend and return to jail since it is difficult for one to resume their life after …show more content…
What should prison systems do to address the challenges associated with housing elderly inmates?
• To me, this is a hard question to answer because every solution may have a downfall. Sticking strictly to the age-related factor and not the charge, I would say if an offender reaches a certain age, they could be released, but with that solution, it begs the question of: is anyone willingly able, or alive to tend to the releasee? Furthermore, I suppose another solution could be the building or the transferring of elderly inmates to more, I suppose one could say, open facilities - facilities that don’t keep these offenders locked up all day and facilities that have trained personnel that can tend to
To begin, the similarities between the two nations is the fact that both America and Japan have a growing elderly population in their jails and prisons. In addition, both nations are taking a step forward in creating prisons that can accommodate this populace – America with the universal design and Japan creating facilities with elevators, ramps, handrails, and trained medical and nursing personnel. Lastly, it states that most prisons in Japan do not have full-time doctors, that is also seen in America, where fellow inmates receive training in order to tend to the elderly inmates. As for differences, Japan requires inmates, even if they are old, to provide forced labor. Moreover, the crimes committed by elders within the States and Japan are completely opposite. In America, most elders commit violent crimes or Part I offenses that result in long prison sentences, but in Japan, their offenders commit non-violent crimes that fall under Part II offenses like fraud. Additionally, since such a small population of Japanese offenders commit violent crimes, it is extremely common for offenders to re-offend and return to jail since it is difficult for one to resume their life after …show more content…
What should prison systems do to address the challenges associated with housing elderly inmates?
• To me, this is a hard question to answer because every solution may have a downfall. Sticking strictly to the age-related factor and not the charge, I would say if an offender reaches a certain age, they could be released, but with that solution, it begs the question of: is anyone willingly able, or alive to tend to the releasee? Furthermore, I suppose another solution could be the building or the transferring of elderly inmates to more, I suppose one could say, open facilities - facilities that don’t keep these offenders locked up all day and facilities that have trained personnel that can tend to