NCJ Number
65033
Date Published
1979
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE ROLES OF THE CLINICAL CRIMINOLOGIST AND CLINICAL CRIMINOLOGY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN 1980 ARE BRIEFLY EXAMINED.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH THE TERM 'CLINICAL CRIMINOLOGY' HAS NO PRECISE ENGLISH LANGUAGE EQUIVALENT, THE CONCEPT INCLUDES SUCH IDEAS AS INDIVIDUALISTIC EXPLANATIONS OF CRIME, PENAL TREATMENT THEORY AND PRACTICE, CONSENSUS CRIMINOLOGY, AND FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY. UNTIL THE 1960'S, 'CONSENSUS' CRIMINOLOGICAL AND PENOLOGICAL STUDIES PREDOMINATED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. ALTHOUGH WORK IN THIS TRADITION CONTINUES, IT HAS BEEN SEVERELY CRITICIZED FROM RADICAL SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES. THE RESULTING ACADEMIC AND POLITICAL CONFLICTS OVER CLINICAL CRIMINOLOGY HAVE DIVIDED SOCIOLOGISTS, WHO STRESS SOCIAL DEVIANCE AND DEVIANCE CONTROL THEORY, AND THOSE WHO TAKE AN INDIVIDUALISTIC APPROACH TO THE OFFENDER. CURRENT RESEARCH DOES NOT IGNORE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL STRUCTURAL, AND IDEOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS, HOWEVER. THE CENTRAL DEBATE IN GREAT BRITAIN FOCUSES ON THE BREAKDOWN OF THE REHABILITATIVE IDEAL IN DEALING WITH OFFENDERS, AND THE GROWTH OF THE RIVAL JUST DESERTS MODEL WHICH, IF ESTABLISHED, WOULD UNDERMINE CLINICAL CRIMINOLOGY'S EXISTENCE. PENAL AND COMPENSATORY STYLES OF SOCIAL CONTROL ARE ACCUSATIONAL STYLES, WHEREAS THERAPEUTIC AND CONCILIATORY STYLES ARE REMEDIAL STYLES. IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, CRIMINAL LAW HAS SPREAD TO THE THERAPEUTIC AND COMPENSATORY MODELS. IF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS RESTRICTED TO THE PENAL MODEL, OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL WOULD BE DEALT WITH BY SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS OTHER THAN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. CLINICAL CRIMINOLOGY MIGHT THEREFORE EVOLVE INTO THE STUDY AND PRACTICE OF CLINICAL APPROACHES TO SOCIAL CONTROL IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO THE WAY CRIMINOLOGY HAS DEVELOPED TOWARD A SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANCE AND ITS CONTROL. A TABLE IS INCLUDED. (CFW)