NCJ Number
64572
Journal
Questione Criminale Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 1977) Pages: 339-359
Date Published
1977
Length
21 pages
Annotation
REFERRING TO RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY AS CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY, THIS STUDY ANALYZES THE CONCEPT OF DEVIANCE AND THE EXISTING PENAL CODES FROM A STRICTLY ORTHODOX MARXIST PERSPECTIVE AND RECOMMENDS ALTERNATIVE CRIMINAL POLICIES.
Abstract
AMONG THE INEQUITIES OF BOURGEOIS-CAPITALIST SOCITIES, WHICH MARX EXPOSED IN HIS WORKS, ARE CRIMINAL CODES, UNMASKED INSTRUMENTS FOR PERPETUATING AND REINFORCING THE POWER OF THE DOMINANT CLASSES WHICH CONTROL THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH. OSTENSIBLY BASED ON THE EQUALITY OF ALL CITIZENS BEFORE THE LAW, THE EXISTING CAPITALIST-INSPIRED PENAL CODES CREATE ARTIFICIAL NORMS OF BEHAVIOR, THEN PRESCRIBE PENALTIES FOR ANY DEVIANCE FROM THEM. THE INDIVIDUALS PROSECUTED AND INCARCERATED FOR DEVIANT BEHAVIOR ACCORDING TO THESE LAWS ARE USUALLY MEMBERS OF THE SUBPROLETARIAT, OR MARGIN WORKERS, WHO OUGHT TO JOIN THE RANKS OF THE PROLETARIAT IN THEIR ONGOING CLASS STRUGGLE: INSTEAD, THEY ARE NEUTRALIZED BY INCARCERATION AND STIGMATIZATION WITHOUT BEING AWARE OF THE PROCESS. IN ADDITION TO BEING LOST TO THE WORKERS' ARMY, THEY ARE EXPLOITED IN PRISON INDUSTRIES TO CREATE UNFAIR COMPETITION FOR WORKERS TO UNDERMINE THE ECONOMIC GAINS WON BY THE LATTER IN THE PREPARATORY STAGES OF THE FULLY REALIZED MARXIST SOCIETY. EVEN MEMBERS OF THE PROLETARIAT ARE OFTEN DUPED INTO JOINING THE SOCIAL REACTION AGAINST SOCALLED DEVIANTS, NEGATIVELY AND CONVINCINGLY STEREOTYPED BY THE SUBTLE PROPAGANDA OF THE CAPITALIST-CONTROLLED MASS MEDIA ON THE OTHER HAND, THOSE WHO ARE LABELED AND STIGMATIZED AS CRIMINALS AND DEVIANTS ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE MANIPULATED INTO ACCEPTING THIS DESTRUCTIVE SELF-IMAGE. THEY MUST BE MADE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR SOCALLED DEVIA IS A FORM OF PROTEST AGAINST THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH AND THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION IN THE CAPITALIST SYST CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGISTS HAVE UNMASKED THIS BOURGEOIS CONSPIRACY WHICH AIMS TO PRESERVE THE STATUS-QUO. THESE CRIMINOLOGISTS ADVOCATE THE ELIMINATION OF PRISONS AND OF ALL INSTRUMENTS OF REPRESSION, WHICH SHOULD BE REPLACED BY ADMINISTRATIVE OR CIVIL SANCTIONS, OPEN INSTITUTIONS, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS FOR THE SOCIALLY HANDICAPPED. PENAL CODES AND PRISONS WILL NO LONGER HAVE A REASON TO EXIST WHEN THE EGALITARIAN MARXIST SOCIETY REPLACES CAPITALISM. THIS NEW EGALITARIAN SOCIETY WILL ACCOMMODATE DEVIANCE, SINCE IT WILL NO LONGER MAINTAIN ARBITRARY NORMS OF BOURGEOIS MORALITY AND THE OUTMODED INSTITUTIONS BUTTRESSED BY THE LATTER (RELIGION, SCHOOLS, FAMILY): EACH MEMBER OF THE MARXIST STATE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO IT 'ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITIES' AND WILL RECEIVE FROM IT 'ACCORDING TO HIS NEEDS.' AN INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. --IN ITALIAN (LGR)