Beccaria’s Criminal Justice Theories

This paper studies the life of Beccaria and his theories on criminal behavior and justice. It analyzes his work, Essay On Crimes and Punishments, and it’s influence in criminal justice systems throughout the world. The paper looks at how Beccaria viewed the criminal and the crime and its overall effect (damage) to society.

From the paper:

`This paper examines the contributions of Beccaria in the context of his own time, the lasting effect that they have had on the jurisprudential and penological systems of the modern Western world. After a general introduction to Beccaria’s ideas and his model of crime, this paper looks at the results of three contemporary studies that incorporate the ideas and models of Beccaria. This examination of current research will allow us to evaluate the ways in which Beccaria’s idea, born in such a different historical context, may still guide us in attempting to guide us in creating ever more just, more fair and more effective means of punishing criminals and allowing all of society (including criminals, victims, and the rest of us) to prosper.`

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Beccaria’s Life and Times and Theoretical Underpinnings
3. Beccaria’s Classical Theory of Crime
4. Three Modern Studies
5. Conclusion