Critical criminology builds upon the basic concepts of marxism and feminism, while also incorporating ideas regarding ‘race’, sex, animal rights, and the environment (White et al., 2017). The perspective is concerned with the structures of power, and the relationship between structural inequality and the institutionalisation of racism. From this, the main role of critical criminologists is to expose the nature of the power relations that shape how certain groups are treated within the criminal justice system.
The perspective defines crime in terms of oppression, where certain groups are more likely to be the subject of oppressive power relations, which often lead to discriminatory behaviour by the criminal justice system (White et al., 2017).
The perspective defines crime in terms of oppression, where certain groups are more likely to be the subject of oppressive power relations, which often lead to discriminatory behaviour by the criminal justice system (White et al., 2017).