CCJ 515 Theories of Crime and Justice

An overview of historical, sociological, biological, psychological, economic, and Marxist theories of crime causation. Particular attention is given to analyzing each theory presented in terms of its internal consistency and logic as well as its fit with data on crime, criminals, and victims. Students will have to test the effectiveness of these individual theories through the research literature available in the criminal justice literature. Policy and programmatic implications stemming from these theories and what the research literature indicates will be discussed in class.