NCJ Number
64439
Journal
RASSEGNA DI CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 6 Issue: 1-2 Dated: (1975) Pages: 107-111
Date Published
1975
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE EXPECTATION THAT ALL CRIMES COULD BE PREVENTED IF ONLY THE RIGHT TECHNICAL FORMULAS FOR TIMELY INTERVENTION COULD BE DEVISED IS UNREALISTIC, BECAUSE THE FACTORS INVOLVED CANNOT BE REDUCED TO FIT 'A PRIORI' THEORIES.
Abstract
CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES ARE DOOMED TO FAILURE BECAUSE THEY ARE BASED ON ABSTRACT CONCEPTS OF CRIME AND DEVIANCE, RATHER THAN ON CONSIDERATION OF THE HUMAN ELEMENT INVOLVED, THE CRIMINAL, WHOSE PERSONALITY IS UNIQUE AND HIS REACTIONS, THEREFORE, BASICALLY UNPREDICTABLE. THE PROBLEM IS FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING SOCIAL CONTEXT IN WHICH ALL HUMAN ACTS, INCLUDING THOSE DEFINED AS CRIMINAL AND DEVIANT, TAKE PLACE, SO THAT EVEN IF WORKABLE CRIME PREVENTION FORMULAS COULD BE DEVISED FOR TODAY, THEY WOULD BECOME OBSOLETE TOMORROW. FIRST OFFENSES, IN PARTICULAR, ARE ALMOST ALWAYS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT AND CANNOT, THEREFORE, BE PREVENTED. CRIMINOLOGISTS SHOULD CONCENTRATE, INSTEAD, ON EFFORTS AIMED AT PREVENTING RECIDIVISM WHICH CAN USEFULLY BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN DIAGNOSING THE SOCIAL DISEASE INVOLVED AND IN PLANNING THE PROPER TREATMENT TO PREVENT RELAPSES. --IN ITALIAN (LGR).