In this theory, it is suggested that criminals commit crime based on their environment. For instance, if a child grows ups in an unstable environment that lacks the values that many of us experience in society than the child is more prone to breaking the law and should not receive harsh punishment because they are unaware of the act being wrong. Craig states, “Neoclassical criminology defines crime more broadly as actions that offend against a shared understanding of morality. It added an analysis of environmental factors beyond rational self-interest. In neoclassical thinking, it is possible to do more to deter crime than just to catch and punish criminals; the environment can be changed in ways that make crime less likely to occur. Neoclassical criminologists sought to explain crime as a result of problems such as poverty, low intelligence or family structure.” (Craig, 2007) Under the circumstances, I do not feel neoclassical criminology applies to this case because it does not appear that Longo is underprivileged or comes from a dysfunctional home environment. In fact, Longo seems to be very intelligent because has was able to manipulate Finkel to testify for him after stealing his identity and remain in hiding from the FBI after murdering his entire
In this theory, it is suggested that criminals commit crime based on their environment. For instance, if a child grows ups in an unstable environment that lacks the values that many of us experience in society than the child is more prone to breaking the law and should not receive harsh punishment because they are unaware of the act being wrong. Craig states, “Neoclassical criminology defines crime more broadly as actions that offend against a shared understanding of morality. It added an analysis of environmental factors beyond rational self-interest. In neoclassical thinking, it is possible to do more to deter crime than just to catch and punish criminals; the environment can be changed in ways that make crime less likely to occur. Neoclassical criminologists sought to explain crime as a result of problems such as poverty, low intelligence or family structure.” (Craig, 2007) Under the circumstances, I do not feel neoclassical criminology applies to this case because it does not appear that Longo is underprivileged or comes from a dysfunctional home environment. In fact, Longo seems to be very intelligent because has was able to manipulate Finkel to testify for him after stealing his identity and remain in hiding from the FBI after murdering his entire