5/13/25 Criminology Cont.

Labeling Theory Cont.

Solutions and Problems

• interactionist theory

  • about actions and responses to those actions

  • relative to the culture of the context

• not a full theory

• Reintegrative Shaming- you blame the action, not the person

  • You aren’t bad, but you did a bad thing

  • DOESN’T WORK bc eventually, people get labeled and get the stigma that comes with that label

    • Also, shaming doesn’t work, period

Crime Statistics

Crime- violation of a society’s formally enacted criminal law

• the act itself

Intent- matter of degree; willful to negligence

Crime Statistics- victimization surveys

• what crimes have you been a victim of

  • doesn’t count if you don’t report it

Purpose? Solutions?

Purpose of Prisons

Retribution- the act of moral vengeance

• an eye for an eye

Deterrence- discourage criminality through he use of punishment

• Specific Deter- convince individual offender that crime does not pay

  • Get Scared Straight

    • deter individuals with prison so they don’t do anything in the future

• General Deter- punishment of one serves as an example to others

  • Luigi getting charged with death

  • “If I do this, I’m going to jail.”

Rehabilitation- reforming the offender to prevent later offenses

• but…does little to reform the offender

• goes into the idea that people can be broken down and resocialized in total institutions

• [look into the podcast with Earlong (possibly Elong) Woods and his prison experience]

Societal Projection- render the offender incapable of further offenses temporarily through imprisonment or permanently by execution

• “idc what happens, I just want them removed”

  • ex: capital punishment

Alternatives to Prison

• community policing

• accountability processes

• restorative and transformative justice