Organizational Impact Paper University of Phoenix Survey of Criminal Justice CJA/490 July 31, 2012

Criminal Acts and Choices

One reason why this author chooses to take this Degree Plan is because there is so about learn our Judicial System; within this paper this author will discuss Choice Theories and how they relate to crime. The paper will also talk about some of the common models used in society to determine which acts are considered criminal, and how these acts are affected by choice theories.

In reading the text this author has found that there are several different theories that were used in the pass that are or may still being applied even today. One of the first theories that this author read is the Rational Choice Theory this theory states that individuals will choose to commit a crime when the benefits of doing so may or will outweigh the cost of disobeying the law. In this reasoning this author would have to say that he agrees with this rational choice theory this most times when society thinks of crime it only really thinks of what this author would call blue-collar crimes. When the theory says when the benefits outweigh the cost of disobeying the law this is actually true, how many times have each of seen a person on wall street or a certain member of the government get away with breaking the law and go unpunished. If given the chance this author truly believes that in most cases people will do the right thing in the wrong situation because most citizens really do not want to ho to jail for braking the law.

Another theory is the Routine Activities Theory this is more of a neoclassical perspective, which suggest that a persons lifestyle contributes to both the amount and the type of crime found in any society. In a since this author can say this is some what true many times growing up this author would see things but never had the monetary option of buying these things and even through I never broke the law to get these things it does cross your mind. Certain lifestyles does contribute to certain crimes to say that a person that grow up in household with both parents would commit a crime such as robbing a 7-eleven these things are kind of un heard of. The lifestyle of growing up in a household with upper middle class income one would see crimes such as break and enter and this is mostly do to the fact that the person was bored and or parents told him or her that the parents refuse to purchase a something for them. In talking about choice theories if used these theories must be enforced by local and federal governments this would fall back