INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY EXAM 1

Social relativity - The only thing that matters to human well-being is how one stands relatively to others Discretion - Judgement between right and wrong NCVS (National Crime Victimization Survey) - largest victimization survey in the world, conducted by Justice Department and Census Bureau (conducted with over 100,000 people each year) The individual as a unit of analysis (psych theories) - Person, collective or object that is the target of the investigation NIBRS - National Incident - Based Reporting System- a reporting system in which the police describe each offense in a crime incident , together with data describing the offender, victim and property "Nothing works" - Belief that rehabilitation programs have little effect on reducing recidivism Miller v. Alabama (2012) - Court held that mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole are unconstitutional for juvenile offenders Illinois Juvenile Court Act of 1899 - Legislation that established the first juvenile court in the United States Qualitative and quantitative - Different approaches to conducting research focusing on quality and quantity Qualitative Research - Collecting and analyzing non numerical data to understand concepts Quantitative Research - Research that provides data that can be expressed with numbers, such as ranks or scales. Vengeance vs. Justice - Conflict between seeking and achieving Justice in the criminal Justice system Vengeance - punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong Anti-social personality disorder - Mental disorder characterized by a disregard for the rights of others Incapacitation - Goal of a punishment that aims to prevent offenders from committing further crimes by removing them from society Bentham and Beccaria - Founders of classical criminology: focused on deterrence and punishment Deterrence: general and specific - Power of officials to make decisions bases on individual judgment Panopticon - Prison design that allows constant surveillance of inmates Consensus/ pluralist perspective - Different theories that explain how societies maintain social order Consensus - General agreement Pluralist theory - A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.