Classical Criminology

and

Neoclassical
Criminology

BY CLAUDE LORRAINE SA-ONOY

AND
GOLYN SUMAYLO
Classical Criminilogy
BY GOLYN SUMAYLO

PROTAGONIST OF THIS
THEORY

CESARE BECCARIA (1738-1794)

- The father of Criminal law and Criminal

justice

- Why people committed the crime

- crime problem could be traced not too

bad people but too bad laws that a modern

criminal justice system should guarantee all

people equal treatment before the law.

- Hedonism is the pleasure-pain principle;

human beings choose actions that give

pleasure and avoid those that bring pain.

“The punishment should fit the crime”

JEREMY BENTHAM (1748-1832)

-He was concerned with achieving “the

greatest happiness of the greatest

number”

-Utilitarianism- assumes that all human

actions are calculated in accordance with

their likelihood of bringing happiness

(pleasure) or unhappiness (pain).

INTRODUCTION “Free-will” and rational
behavior, following principles:
By the middle of the 18th 1. All human beings, including

century, social philosophers criminals, will freely choose

studied, argued and began to either criminal ways or non-

look for a more rational criminal-ways, depending on

approach in imposing which way they believe will

punishment. Social reformers benefit them.

sought to eliminate the 2. Criminals will avoid behaviors

barbaric system of law, that will bring pain will

punishment and justice. They engage in behaviors that will

stressed that the relationship bring pleasure.

between crime and 3. Before deciding which course

punishment. of action to take, the criminal

will weigh the expected pains.

4. Criminals are responsible for

their behaviors. They are seen

as human beings who are able

DISCUSSION to interpret,

understand the
analyze

situations
and

in
Classical criminology basic which they find themselves.
elements; 5. Criminals act over and against
In every society, people have their environments. They are
free will to choose criminal not victims of their
of law solutions to meet their environment.
needs or settle their 6. Criminals go through a
problems. thinking process whereby they
Criminal solutions may be take a variety of factors into
more attractive than lawful account before they make a
ones because they usually final decision on whether or
require less work for a not to commit a criminal act.
greater payoff; if left 7. Criminals are totally
unsanctioned, crime has
responsible for their
greater utility than
behaviors.
conformity.
8. Environmental forces do not
Persons who choose criminal
push, pull or propel individuals
solutions may be controlled
to act. Individual acts willfully
by their fear and punishment
and freely.
The more severe, certain, and
9. Offenders are not helpless
swift the punishment the
passive or propelled by forces
better it is to control criminal
beyond their control.
behavior (Siegel, 2004).
10.Each criminal act is a

deliberate one, committed by

a rational, choosing person

who is motivated primarily by

the pleasure-pain principle.

 CONCLUSION
Cesare Becarre's study about crime or why

people committed crim, according to him

crime problem could be traced not too bad

people but too bad laws that a modern

criminal justice system should guarantee all

people equal treatment before the law. A

human being should choose actions that give

pleasure and avoid those that bring pain-

Hedonism. According to him “The punishment

should fit the crime”. One of his classicists

was Jeremy Betham, he is a contemporary of

Beccaria. Jeremy Was concerned with

achieving “the greatest happiness of the

greatest number”. He studies what so-called

Utilitarianism it assumes that all human

actions are calculated in accordance with

their likelihood of bringing happiness

(pleasure) or unhappiness (pain).

 Neoclassical Criminilogy
BY CLAUDE LORRAINE SA-ONOY

INTRODUCTION
The Neoclassical school,

which flourished in the 19th

century, had the same basis

as the classical school – a

The neo-classists asserted
belief in free will. But the
that certain categories of
neoclassical criminologist,
offenders such as minors,
most of whom were British,
idiots, insane or
saw the need for
incompetent had to be
individualized reaction to
treated leniently in
offenders. They believed that
matters of punishment
certain factors such as
irrespective of the
insanity will inhibit the
similarity of their criminal
exercise of free will.
activities because these

persons were incapable of

appreciating the

difference between right

WHAT IS and

The
wrong.

advocates of this

NEOCLASSICAL school

basic
started

assumption
with

that
the

man

CRIMINOLOGY acting

intelligence
on reason

is
and

responsible

for his conduct, but those

Neoclassical theories of lacking normal

crime assert that intelligence or having

deterring, reducing, or some mental depravity are

eliminating crime can irresponsible for their

occur through stricter conduct.

child-rearing practices, Neo-classists adopted a

enhanced punishments, subjective approach to

and/or an increase in criminology and

surveillance and security. concentrated their

attention on the

conditions under which an

Neoclassical thought is individual commits a

typically linked to crime.

politically conservative

crime control policies

 DISCUSSION
Aspects of harsh penal
codes in early times:

i.They did not provide for the

separate treatment of

children.

ii. Children under seven (7)

years of age were exempt

from the law.

iii. Mental disease became a

reason to exempt a suspect

from conviction too.

Although the neoclassical CONCLUSION

school, unlike the classical,

was NOT a scientific school

THIS SCHOOL IS BASED ON
of criminology, it began to
THE BELIEF THAT CRIME
explore the causation issue.
RESULTS FROM FORCES THAT
Its proponents made
ARE BEYOND THE CONTROL
exemptions to the law and
OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
implied multiple causations.
REJECTED THE NOTION OF
Even today, much modern law
FREE WILL. INSTEAD,
is based on the neoclassical
FOCUSED ON
philosophy of free will
SOCIALIZATION, GENETICS,
tempered by exceptions
ECONOMIC, CONDITIONS,
(Reid,1997).
PEER GROUP FACTORS, ETC.

SO NOT ALL PERSONS WERE

COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE

FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

REFERENCES:
https://www.slideshare.net/MGCBALLA2010/
power-point-classical-neo-classical-schools-
50601583