Neo-Classical Theory Essay

RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY

According to this theory human beings are rational and they weigh the costs and benefits of engaging in crime before they do so. The theory postulates that people partake in crime after assessing if it is beneficial or not. Hence, the theory postulates that people engage in crime with goals in mind which their actions will achieve. For instance, people make rational choices to engage in car theft crime since they are seeking to get money from the crime or use the cars to engage in more sophisticated crimes. The theory explains why there are many car thefts in the United States, a country in which using a car to run from the crime scene makes it very likely the criminal will not be caught.

THE MAIN ASSUMPTION OF THE THEORY

-People see themselves as individuals and have individual motivations
-The second assumption of the theory is that individuals have the inclination to maximize on their goals and hence will make a rational decision to engage in crime for that matter.
-The other assumption of the theory is that people are usually self disinterested

RATIONAL CHOICE CRIME AND SOCIAL POLICY

Thefts of vehicles happens in the U.S since most criminals believe that it is an action that is more rewarding to them than engaging in other petty crimes. The most places in which such crimes take place are places which are not protected well, that provide the criminals with an opportunity to steal with a very low likelihood of being apprehended. Hence, the situations in some of the streets in the U.S make it possible for criminal to take car thefts are a lucrative engagement due to making possible calculations about the benefits and costs for such a crime. Additionally, engaging in such a crime can be explained by the fact that criminals will engage in the crime since they know it pays a lot and may be important for them to get bail when they are caught or hire a good criminal lawyer that can easily defend them.

RECOMMENDATIONS

This crime can be addressed through changing the specific deterrence policies, general deterrence policies, the sentences given to such criminals and using desserts in the criminal justice system. The recommended measures to be put in place in the criminal justice system as it relates to addressing the increased number of car thefts in the U.S is to make the minimum sentence for car theft as life imprisonment as a general deterrence measure so that the fear of engaging in car thefts and being punished with a severe sentence deters people from engaging in this crime.
The changes to be made in the society is to ensure that there is increased surveillance through having the number of CCTV cameras installed in homes and the streets increased so that every car theft is caught on camera to increase the likelihood of people engaging in the crime to be apprehended as a way of making the crime unattractive to potential car thieves. Giving long sentences to car thieves is a sure way of dealing with other crimes since most car thefts are a way of facilitating other crimes. Most criminals do not necessarily steal motor vehicles to sell them but to use them in committing other crimes such as abductions or engaging in property crimes. Making car thefts to be punished through life imprisonment sentences is a change that makes the criminal justice system to serve the ‘just desserts” function fully, using incarceration as a way of reducing car thefts and associated crimes, and serve the specific deterrence function which will make criminals desist from engaging in this type of crime through instilling fear. It will also be a change that will drastically reduce other crimes committed using stolen vehicles.