1.1 Crime and the Criminal Justice System
Shanell Sanchez; Kate McLean; and Pamela Simek
Theft as a Child
The first lesson in crime, or criminality (and private property), I remember was when I was a toddler. Walking through the checkout at the supermarket, I began filling my play purse with candy. I knew that we had to buy items at the store—after all, my parents were paying for our food—but somehow it didn’t seem wrong to just take the candy. Since I made no effort to hide my theft, my parents stopped me, horrified, and forced me to return the candy to the shelves. I complied, but not without a fight. I don’t remember feeling guilty at the time, but now I’m shocked by my actions.
Think about a time in your life when you may have done something similar. Was this first lesson in crime and criminality from the person you were raised by? Did they teach you that what you did was (or could be) a crime and how to avoid this behavior again? Were you punished and how?
Imagine all the questions you may have for your parents at the moment: Why was it wrong? What would happen to me if I did not tell you? What is a crime? Who decides what makes a crime? What is my punishment?
Perhaps because I was so young, I don’t remember being punished. In your opinion, what would be an appropriate punishment for a young child who is caught stealing?
Most criminologists define crime as the violation of the laws of a society by a person or a group of people who are subject to the laws of that society (citizens). Thus, crime is defined by the government (federal, state, or local). Essentially, crime is what the law states, and a violation of the law, stated in the statute, would make actions criminal (Lynch, Stretesky, & Long, 2015). For example, if someone murdered another individual in the process of stealing their automobile, most people would see this as criminal and a straightforward example of crime. We often see murder and robbery as wrongful acts that harm society, as well as social order. However, there are times that crime is not as straightforward, and people may hesitate to call it criminal. For example, in 2022, the state of Georgia passed a law that makes giving away food or water “within 150 feet of the outer edge of a polling place building, within a polling place, or within 25 feet of any voter in line” a misdemeanor-level crime, punishable by up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine (See Georgia Senate Bill 202). While the state claims that this legislation is required in order to prevent illegal campaigning at election sites, voters’ rights advocates have argued that the new law will deter voting and suppress turnout, particularly among marginalized voters (The Associated Press, 2022).
Constitutionally, all criminal laws are meant to respond to an existing or likely threat of harm. Harm can concern individuals’ physical, economic, social, and emotional well-being, or the social order and environment more generally. But individuals have differing opinions a