social order

a condition of a society characterized by social integration, consensus, smooth

functioning, and lack of interpersonal and institutional conflict.

social disorganization

a condition exists when a group is faced with social change, uneven development
of culture, maladaptiveness, disharmony, conflict and lack of consensus.

Crime

conduct in violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or a

local jurisdiction for which there is no legally acceptable justification or excuse.
individual rights
Guaranteed by the US constitution to all members of American society (Bill of
rights). Especially important to criminal defendants in criminal law.
Individual rights advocate
one who seeks to protect personal freedoms within the process of criminal justice.
public order advocate
Belief that under certain circumstances involving a criminal threat to public safety,
the interests of society should take precedence over individual rights.
justice
Principle of fairness; the ideal of moral equity.
social justice
an ideal that embraces all aspects of civilized life and that is linked to fundamental
notions of fairness and to the cultural beliefs about right and wrong.
civil justice
law of procedure, and the array of procedure and activities having to do with
private rights and remedies sought by civil action. Civil justice cannot be separated
from social justice because the justice enacted in court reflects American values of
right and wrong.
criminal justice
The criminal (penal) law, the law of criminal procedure, and the array of procedures
and activities having to do with the enforcement of this body of law. Criminal justice
cannot be separated from social justice because it reflects understandings of right
and wrong.
administration of justice
Performance of any of these tasks: detection, apprehension, detention, pretrial
release, post-trial release, prosecution, adjudication, correctional supervision, or
rehabilitation.
criminal justice system
aggregate of all operating and administrative or technical support agencies that
perform criminal justice functions. The basic divisions of the operational aspects
are law enforcement, courts, corrections.
consensus model
a criminal justice perspective that assumes that the systems components work
together harmoniously to achieve the social product we call justice.
conflict model
a criminal justice perspective that assumes that the components function primarily
to serve their own interests. According to this theoretical framework, justice is more
a product of conflicts among agencies within the system than it is a result of
cooperation among component agencies.
warrant
a writ issued by a judicial officer directing a law enforcement officer to perform a
specified act and affording the officer protection from damages if he or she
performs it.
booking
officially recording an entry into detention after arrest and identifying the person,
the place, the time, the reason for the arrest and the arresting authority.
bail
the money or property pledged to the court or actually deposited with the court to
effect the release of a person from legal custody.
preliminary hearing
A proceeding before a judicial officer in which three matters are decided: whether a
crime was committed, whether the crime occurred in the jurisdiction of the court,
and whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that the defendant committed
the crime.
probable cause
(law) evidence sufficient to warrant an arrest or search and seizure
information
a formal written accusation submitted to the court by a grand prosecutor, alleging
that specified person has committed a crime.
indictment
a formal written accusation submitted to the court by a grand grand jury, alleging
that specified person has committed a crime, usually a felony.
grand jury
a group of jurors who have been selected according to law an have been sworn to
hear the evidence and to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to bring
the accused person to trial to investigate criminal justice generally or to investigate
the conduct of a public agency or official.
arraignment
Strictly, the hearing before a court having jurisdiction in a criminal case in which the
identity of the defendant is established, the defendant is informed of the charge an
of his or her rights, and the defendant is required to enter a plea. Also, in some
usages, any appearance in court before trial.
First Appearance
Within hours of arrest suspects must be brought before a magistrate for an initial
appearance. The judge will tell them of the charges against them advise them of
their rights and provide the opportunity for bail.
trial
the examination in court of the issues of fact and relevant law in case for the
purpose of convicting or acquitting the defendant.
Consecutive sentance
Sentences served in sequence with others, one after the other.
Concurrent sentance
Sentences served at the same time.
due process
(law) the administration of justice according to established rules and principles
NOUN
EX. based on the principle that a person cannot be deprived of life or liberty or
property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards
crime control model
perspective that emphasizes the efficient arrest and conviction of offenders.
due process model
perspective that emphasizes individual rights at all stages of the justice system
processing.
social control
use of sanctions and rewards within a group to influence and shape the behavior of
members of a group. Leads to the creation of both criminal and civil statutes.
Evidence based policing
crime fighting strategies that have been scientifically tested and based on social
science research.
criminology
Scientific study of the causes and prevention of crime and rehabilitation and
punishment of offenders.
multiculturalism
the doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can co-
exist peacefully and equitably in a single country
uniform crime reporting program (UCR)
stats reporting program run by the FBI CJ information service. UCR program
publishes "Crime in the United States," which provides an annual summation of the
incidence and rate of reported crimes throughout the US.
National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
annual survey of selected American households conducted by the Bureau of
Justice Stats to determine the extent of criminal victimization- especially
unreported.
Bureau of Justice Statistics
The US DOJ agency responsible for the collection of data, including the NCVS
Crime Index
defunct measure but once inclusive measure of the UCR programs violent and
property crimes known as part 1 offenses. Intended to be used as a tool for
geographic (state-to-state) and historical (year-to-year) comparisons via the use of
crime rates. Discontinued after larceny-theft was found to carry undue weight and
led to an underappreciation of changes in rates.
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
collects detailed data on every single crime occurrence. NIBRS data is replacing
the kinds of summary data that comes from the UCR.
violent crime
UCR/NIBRS summary offense category that includes murder, robbery, rape, and
aggravated assault.
property crime
UCR/NIBRS summary offense category that includes burglary, larceny-theft, motor
vehicle theft, and arson.
clearance rate
measure of investigative effectiveness that compares the number of crimes
reported with or discovered to the number of crimes solved through arrest or other
means.
murder
the unlawful killing of a human being.
Part 1 offenses
UCR/NIBRS offense group used to report murder, rape, robbery, aggravated
assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson.
rape
unlawful sexual intercourse through force and without consent.
forcible rape (UCR/NIBRS)
the carnal knowledge of a woman forcibly against her will. Statutory rape differs in
that it generally involves nonforcible sex with a minor.
sexual battery
intentional or wrongful physical contact with a person, without his or consent, that
entails a sexual component or purpose.
date rape
Rape that occurs within the context of a dating relationship.
robbery (UCR/NIBRS)
unlawful taking or attempting taking of property that is in immediate possession of
another by force or violence and or putting the victim in fear.
assault (UCR/NIBRS)
an unlawful attack by one person upon another.
aggravated assualt
the unlawful, intentional inflicting, or threatening of serious injury upon the person
of another.
burglary (UCR/NIBRS)
unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft.
-unlawful entry of an unlocked structure has occurred
-breaking and entry of a secured structure has taken place
-burglary has been attempted
larceny-theft (UCR/NIBRS)
unlawful taking or attempted taking of another's property. Excludes motor vehicles.
Motor vehicle theft (UCR/NIBRS)
Attempted taking of a motor vehicle. A vehicle is defined as a self-propelled road
vehicle that runs on land surface and not rails.
arson
any wilful or malicious burning or attempt to burn without intent to defraud.
identity theft
the co-option of another person's personal information (e.g., name, social security
number, credit card number, passport) without that person's knowledge and the
fraudulent use of such knowledge
Part 2 offenses
UCR/NIBRS group used to report arrests for less serious offenses. Only report
information about arrests.
dark figure of crime
crime that is not reported to the police and remains unknown to officials.
crime typology
classification of crimes along a particular dimension such as legal categories,
motivation, victim behavior, etc.
stalking
the repeated following, harassment, or threatening of an individual to frighten or
cause him or her harm
cyberstalking
The use of the internet, e-mail, and other electronic communication technologies to
stalk another person.
hate crime (UCR/NIBRS)
crime committed against a person, property or society that is motivated by the
offenders bias.
corporate crime
violation of criminal statute by a corporate entity or by its employees for the benefit
of the corporation or business entity.
white-collar crime
crimes by a person pf high social status in the course of their occupation.
Nonviolent utilizing special skills and committed by experts.
organized crime
The work of a group that regulates relations among criminal enterprises involved in
illegal activities, including prostitution, gambling, and the smuggling and sale of
illegal drugs.
transnational organized crime
organized criminal groups working across national borders.
cybercrime
crime committed using a computer and the internet to steal a person's identity or
sell contraband or stalk victims or disrupt operations with malevolent programs
deviance
violation of social norms defining appropriate or proper behavior under a particular
set of circumstances. Often include criminal acts.
theory
an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations
and predicts behaviors or events
hypothesis
a proposal intended to explain certain facts or observations
research
use of standardized, systematic procedures in the search for knowledge.
interdisciplinary theory
an attempt that integrates a variety of viewpoints to explain something.
Classical School
an eighteenth century approach that grew out of the enlightenment and that
emphasized the role of free will and reasonable punishments. Punishment must
outweigh the benefits of the criminal rewards.
neoclassical criminology
emphasizes deterrence and retribution and that holds that human beings are
essentially free to make choices in favor of crime and deviance or conform to the
law.
rational choice theory
holds that criminality is a result of conscious choice. Rational choice predicts that
people will choose to commit crime when the benefits outweigh the risks.
routine activities theory
lifestyles contribute significantly to both the amount and type of crime found in any
society.
biological school
a perspective that holds that criminal behavior has physiological.
phrenology
study of the shape of the head to determine anatomical correlates of human
behavior
atavism
condition characterized by the existence of features thought to be common in
earlier stages of human evolution.
positivist school
approach that stresses the application of scientific techniques to the study of crime
and criminals.
somatotyping
classification of human beings according to types according to body build an other
physical characteristics
supermale
human male displaying the XYY chromosome structure.
Psychological school
perspective that views offensive and deviant behavior as the product of
dysfunctional personality. Identify the conscious, subconscious contents of the
human psyche as major determinants of behavior.
behavioral conditioning
principle that holds the frequency of any behavior can be increased or decreased
through reward, punishment, and association with other stimuli.
psychoanalysis
based on Sigmund Freud that sees personality as a complex composite of
interacting mental entities.
psychopathology
study of pathological mental conditions- mental illness.
psychopath
a person with a personality disorder, especially one manifested in aggressively
antisocial behavior, result of a poorly developed superego.
psychosis
mental illness in which sufferers are said to be out of tough with reality.
schizophrenic
person has a mental disease marked by a breakdown in the relation between
thoughts, feelings, and actions, and often with delusions and retreat from society
psychological profiling
attempt to categorize, understand,and predict the behavior of certain types of
offenders based on behavior.
dangerousness
likelihood that a person will later harm society or others. Measured by recidivism
and that person will commit crime within the next 5 years.
chicago school
emphasize demographics and geographics and that sees the social
disorganization that characterizes delinquency areas as a major cause of
criminality and victimization
anomie
socially pervasive condition of normlessness. Also a disjunction between approved
goals and means
reaction formation
the process by which a person openly rejects that which he or she wants or aspires
to but cannot obtain or achieve.
subculture of violence
a cultural setting in which violence is a traditional and often accepted method of
dispute resolution.
Defensible space theory
belief that an areas physical features may be modified and structured so as to
reduce crime rates in that area to
lower the fear of victimization that resident experience
Broken window thesis
holds that the physical deterioration of an area leads to higher crime rates and an
increased concern for physical safety among residents
Social process theory
perspective that highlights the process of interaction between individuals and
society. Most highlight the role of social learning
Differential Association Theory
law of imitation people learn their values and ideas about crime from what they see
and learn from socialization
Social learning theory
perspective that people learn how to behave by modeling
themselves after others who they have the opportunity to observe
Containment theory
aspects of the social bond and of the personality that act to prevent people from
committing crimes and engaging in deviance
Labeling theory:
social process perspective sees continued crime as a consequence of the limited
opportunities for acceptable behavior that follows
from negative responses of society to those defined as offenders
Moral enterprise
process undertaken by an advocacy group to have its values legitimated and
embodied in law.
Social development theory
integrated view of human development that points to the process of interaction
among and between individuals and society as the root cause of criminal behavior
Life course perspective:
approach explaining crime and deviance that investigates developments and
turning points in the course of the persons life.
Conflict Perspective
holds that crime is the natural consequence of economic and other social
equalities. This highlights the stresses that arise
among and within social groups as they compete with one another for resources
and for survival. Forces that result are a major determinant of
behavior.
Radical criminology
crime as engendered by the unequal distribution of wealth, power and other
resources, which adherents believe is characteristic of capitalism
Peacemaking criminology
holds that crime control agencies and the citizens they serve work together to
alleviate social problems and human suffering and thus reduce crime
Feminist criminology
approach that emphasizes the gender issues in criminology.
Constitutive criminology
study of the process by which human beings create an ideology of crime that
sustains the notion of crime as a concrete reality
Significance of any behavior depends on a social consensus about what that
behavior means
Crime is a product of an active process of interpretation and social definition
Continued criminal activity may be result of limited opportunities for acceptable
behavior are imposed on people defined as
criminal than it is choice.
Postmodern criminology
developed after ww2 and builds on the tenets of postmodern social thought
Deconstructionist theories
emerging approach that challenges existing ones to debunk them and that works
toward replacing them with
more concepts more applicable to the post modern era.
Law
rule of conduct, generally found enacted in the form of a statute,that proscribe or
mandates certain forms of behavior.
Statutory law
written or codified law, the law in the books as enacted by a government body or
agency having the power to make laws.
Penal code
written, organized and compiled form of criminal law of a jurisdiction
Case law
body of judicial precedent, historically built on legal reasoning and past interactions
of statutory laws, that serves as a guide to decision
making, especially in the courts.
Common law
law originating from usage and custom rather than from written statutes. Unwritten
body of judicial opinion, originally developed in
English courts that is based on no statutory customs, traditions and precedents
that help guide judicial decision making.
Rule of law
maxim that an orderly society must be governed by established principles and
known codes that are applied uniformly and fairly to all
of its members
Jurisprudence
philosophy of law. Also the science and study of the law.
Criminal Law
the body of rules and regulations that define and specify the nature of and
punishments for offenses of a public nature or for wrongs
committed against the state or society, also called penal law.
Substantive criminal law
law that defines crimes and specifies punishment
Procedural law
law that specifies the methods to be used in enforcing substantive law
Civil Law
branch of modern law that governs relationships between parties
tort
a wrongful act, damage, or injury not involving a breach of contract. Also a private
or civil wrong or injury.
Administrative Law
body of regulations that government create to control the activities of industries or
business and individuals.
Precedent
legal principle that ensures that previous judicial decisions are authoritatively
considered and incorporated into future decisions.
Stare decisis
legal principle that requires that in subsequent cases on similar issues of law and
fact courts be bound by their own earlier
decisions and by those of higher courts having jurisdiction over them. Means
standing by decided matters.
Felonies
a criminal offense punishable by death or by incarceration in a prison facility for at
least one year.
Misdemeanor
an offense punishable by incarceration usually in a local confinement facility for a
period prescribed by a statute in a given jurisdiction. Typically one year or less
Offense
a violation of the criminal law. Also in some jurisdictions a minor crime such as
jaywalking described as ticket able.
Infraction
a minor violation of the state statute or local ordinance punishable by a fine or
other penalty or by specified limited incarceration
Treason
a US citizens actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war, or
seriously injure the United States. Also, the attempt to
overthrow the government of the society of which one is a member.
Espionage
gathering, losing or transmitting information related to the national defense in such
a manner that the information becomes
available to the enemies of the United States and may be used to their advantage
Inchoate offense
offense not completed yet. Also an offense that consists of an action or conduct
that is a step toward the intended commission of another defense
Actus reus
an act in violation of the law. Also a guilty act.
Mens rea
state of mind that accompanies a criminal act. Also a guilty mind.
Purposeful (intentional)
undertaken to achieve some goal
Knowing
undertaking with awareness. Person acts knowingly but may not have criminal
intent.
Reckless
activity that increases the risk of harm
Negligent
behavior in which a person fails to reasonably perceive substantial and
unjustifiable risks of dangerous consequences
Motive
a person's reason for committing a crime
Strict liability
without fault or intention. Strict liability offenses do not require men's rea
Concurrence
the coexistence of an act in violation of the law and a culpable mental state
Legal cause-
a legally recognizable cause. A legal cause must be demonstrated in court in order
to hold an individual criminally liable for
causing harm.
Ex post facto-
laws punishing someone after the law has been created for something done before
the law.
(Necessary) Attendant circumstances
facts surrounding an event
Elements of specific Criminal Offense:
in a crime one of the essential features of that crime as specified by law or statute
Corpus delici
facts that show that a crime has occurred. The term literally means the body of the
crime.
Defense
evidence and arguments offered by a defendant and his or her attorney to show
why the defendant his or her client should not be held
liable for a criminal charge
Alibi
statement by an individual charged with a crime that he or she was so distant when
the crime was committed, or so engaged in other provable activities, that his or her
participation in the commission of that crime was impossible