Occasional Criminal
Occasional criminals are not person belonging to a crime career. It means they are not professionals but commit crime due to the drift amid conventional and criminal behaviors. For Example: Shoplifters whose major income comes from other conventional source and do not have a self-identity as criminal. Chapter 12, Problem 1CTQ is solved. Uber Faces Tougher Screening, but the Occasional Criminal Could Still Get Through Dennis Romero September 29, 2016 A new law signed yesterday by Gov. Jerry Brown will subject Uber and Lyft drivers.
The occasional criminals
The occasional criminal only performs the act if the opportunity occurs in his/her routine of daily life. For example someone is walking by a car & it happens to be unlocked & the person notices they might take their car stereo, etc.
Those whose criminal acts were due to external circumstances and who were driven to commit crimes because of a special passion.
§ Most crime committed by amateurs whose acts are unskilled, and unplanned
§ Occasional crime occurs when there is a situational inducement
§ Frequency of occasional crime varies according to age, cl**** race, and gender
§ Occasional criminals have little group support for the crimes
There is a class of occasional criminals, who do not exhibit, or who exhibit in slighter degrees, the anatomical, physiological, and psychological characteristics which constitute the type described by Lombroso as “the criminal man.”
There are occasional criminals who commit the offences characteristic of habitual criminality, such as homicides, robberies, rapes, etc., so there are born criminals who sometimes commit crimes out of their ordinary course.
Occasional criminals, who without any inborn and active tendency to crime lapse into crime at an early age through the temptation of their personal condition, and of their physical and social environment, and who do not lapse into it, or do not relapse, if these temptations disappear.
Thus they commit those crimes and offences which do not indicate natural criminality, or else crimes and offences against person or property, but under personal and social conditions altogether different from those in which they are committed by born and habitual criminals.
There is no doubt that, even with the occasional criminal, some of the causes which lead him into crime belong to the anthropological class; for external causes would not suffice without individual predispositions. For instance, during a scarcity or a hard winter, not all of those who experience privation have recourse to theft, but some prefer to endure want, however undeserved, without ceasing to be honest, whilst others are at the utmost driven to beg their food; and amongst those who yield to the suggestion of crime, some stop short at simple theft, whilst others go as far as robbery with violence. Of millions of property and theft related crimes are done by occasional criminals.
An occasional thief
An individual’s decision to steal is spontaneous, un-planned.
Criminologists suspect that the great majority of economic crimes are the work of amateur criminals whose decision to steal is spontaneous and whose acts are unskilled, unplanned, and haphazard. Occasional property crime occurs when there is an opportunity or situational inducement to commit crime. Upper-class has the opportunity to engage in the more lucrative business- related crimes. The lower-class has opportunity to commit crime and short-run inducements. Occasional criminals will deny any connection to a criminal life-style and instead view their transgressions as being out of character. Whereas with the occasional criminal the moral sense is almost normal, but inability to realize beforehand the consequences of his act causes him to yield to external influences.
The forms of occasional criminality, which are determined by these ordinary temptations, are also determined by age, sex, poverty, worldly influences, and influences of moral environment, alcoholism, personal surroundings, and imitation. Tarde has ably demonstrated the persistent influence of these conditions on the actions of men.
For thefts, again, whilst occasional simple thefts are largely the effect of social and economical conditions. For slight offences by occasional criminals, strict indemnification will, on the one hand, avoid the disadvantages of short terms of imprisonment, and will, on the other hand, be much more efficacious and sensible than an assured provision of food and shelter, for a few days or weeks, in the State prisons.
Occasional criminals or criminaloids, whose crimes are explained primarily by opportunity, although they too have innate traits that predispose them to criminality.
Lombroso referenced the insane criminal, the criminaloid, and the habitual criminal all as “occasional criminals”. His classification of the insane criminal (idiots, imbeciles, paranoiacs, epileptics, alcoholics, etc.) came by way of his assertion that this type of criminal was a result of brain deficiency. Lombroso differentiated the atavistic or born criminal from the insane criminal through his proposition that the insane criminal, was not born criminal. Instead, due to the deficiency/alteration of the brain (which disturbs their moral nature and subsequently inhibits their ability to discern between right and wrong) the insane criminal becomes criminal at any point in their life (Lombroso-Ferrero, 1911, p. 74).
Of the criminaloid, the largest group of occasional criminals, Lombroso hypothesized that they were only slightly less predisposed to criminality. He asserted that the opportunity to commit crime and environmental factors was the most important element in their etiology and that although they had innate traits and a touch of degeneracy, their organic tendency was much less than that of the born criminal.
The habitual criminal is the third group of occasional criminals. Here Lombroso asserts that “the habitual criminal was born without serious anomalies or tendencies in his constitution that would predispose him to crime” (Mannheim, 1972, p. 253). Therefore, the habitual criminal came closest to a “normal” criminal. “Poor education and training from parents, the school and community at an early age cause these individuals to fall into the primitive tendency towards evil” (Mannheim, 1972, p. 253). The associations of criminals, such as members of organized crime, play a role in drawing habitual criminals into crime. Lombroso makes the claim that the habitual criminal’s upbringing and associations drove them into criminal activity.
The broadest and most inclusive category of occasional criminals include four types.
The Pseudocriminal
Individuals who become criminals by mere accident e.g. killing in self-defense. These criminals are also called Judicial Criminals.
Criminaloid
These are epileptoids who suffer from a milder form of the disease so that without adequate cause criminality is not manifested. These are individuals with weak natures who can be swayed by circumstances to commit crime. Often showing hesitation before committing crime.
Habitual Criminals
Individuals who regard the systematic violation of the law in the light of an ordinary trade. Include those convicted of theft, fraud, arson, forgery and blackmail.
Epileptoid Criminal
Individual suffering from epilepsy.
In short, for occasional criminals who commit slight offences, in circumstances which show that they are not of a dangerous type, I say, as I have said already, that reparation of the damage inflicted would suffice as a defensive measure, without a conditional sentence of imprisonment.
As to the occasional criminals who commit serious offences, for which reparation alone would not be sufficient, temporary removal from the scene of the crime should be added in the less serious cases, whilst in the cases of greater gravity, owing to material and personal considerations, there should be indefinite segregation in an agricultural colony, with lighter work and milder discipline than those prescribed in colonies for born criminals and recidivists.
The last category is that of criminals through an impulse of passion, not anti-social but susceptible of excuse, such as love, honor, and the like. For these individuals all punishment is clearly useless, at any rate as a psychological counteraction of crime, for the very conditions of the psychological convulsion which caused them to
offend precludes any deterrent influence in a legal menace.
I therefore believe that in typical cases of criminals of passion; where there is no clear demand for mental treatment in a criminal lunatic asylum, imprisonment is of no use whatever. Strict reparation of damage will suffice to punish them, whilst they are punished already by genuine and sincere remorse immediately after the criminal explosion of their legitimate passion. Temporary removal from the scene of their crime and from the residence of the victim’s family might be superadded.
Nevertheless it must not be forgotten that I say this in connection with criminals in whom the passionate impulse is really exceptional, and who present the physiological and psychical features of the genuine criminal of passion.
I come to a different conclusion in the case of criminals who have merely been provoked, who do not completely present these features, who are actuated by a combination of social and excusable passion with an anti-social passion, such as hate, vengeance, anger, ambition, &c. Of such a kind are murderers carried away by anger just in itself, by blood-feuds, or desire to avenge the honor of their family, by vindication of personal honor, by grave suspicion of adultery; persons guilty of malicious wounding, disfigurement through erotic motives, and the like. These may be classed as occasional criminals, and treated accordingly.
Such, then, in general outline, is the positive system of social, preventive, and repressive defense against crimes and criminals, in accordance with the inferences from a scientific study of crime as a natural and social phenomenon.
It is a defensive system which, in the nature of things, must of necessity be substituted for the criminal and penitentiary systems of the classical school, so soon as the daily experience of every nation shall have established the conviction, which at this moment is more or less profound, but merely of a general character, that these systems are henceforth incompatible with the needs of society, not only by their crude pedantry, but also because their consequences are becoming daily more disastrous.
BZU Notes
We classify crimes and Criminals to get the better understanding of the nature of crime and best ways to deal with it and develop better informed strategies to prevent the occurence of those crimes, to provide a safer environment for the state and the nation. Any classification, be it of plants, animals, or human beings, is to some extent artificial because there will always be individual characteristics or a set of characteristics which can properly be placed in more than one group. In our own attempt at classification, dealing as we often do with emotionally and mentally abnormal offenders, it is frequently difficult to distinguish between a criminal who is neurotic and one who suffers from a character disorder. Yet in spite of the shortcomings inherent in classification, we must attempt to categorize offenders if we are going to be successful in dealing with them. If we can classify them in a rational way, we can diagnose their characteristics, treat them, and predict their future behavior. However, such classification means that we will have to examine carefully each criminal to be able to find the characteristic and predominant traits that will tell us in which particular category he belongs.
A method for classifying offenders has to be based upon personal psychiatric-psychological factors, situational environmental factors, and a combination of both psychological and situational elements. Besides the personality-involvement in every criminal act and the presence of a certain situation or set of circumstances, one thing that must be taken into consideration when classifying any offender is the history of his criminal behavior. A person who commits only a single crime differs in personality make-up from one who repeats a criminal act several times or commits various crimes. The classification must reflect this, and the history of the offender’s antisocial and criminal behavior will indicate whether he should be labeled as one of the following sort:
- An acute (Occasional) offender.
- A chronic (habitual) offender.
- A professional (white collar) offender.
All said and done, Laws are made by the ones in power, to prevent, and control, or criminal are usually on the immoral side of things, still doesn’t doesn’t mean always,. Countless times in history whom the law called a criminal. humanity called the leader for revolution, including Our Qaid Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Laskarina Bouboulina William Wallace, Tawakul Karman, Rosa Parks and a lot more. As said,
There are crimes which become innocent and even glorious through their splendor, number and excess.
François de La Rochefoucauld
Occasional Criminals
The occasional criminal only performs the act if the opportunity or necessity occurs in his/her routine of daily life. Occasional criminals do not exhibit, or who exhibit in slighter degrees, the anatomical, physiological, and psychological characteristics of criminal potential. They are born without any inborn and active tendency to crime lapse into crime at an early age through the temptation of their personal condition, and of their physical and social environment, and who do not lapse into it, or do not relapse, if these temptations disappear.
Thus they commit those crimes and offences which do not indicate natural criminality, or else crimes and offences against person or property, but under personal and social conditions altogether different from those in which they are committed by born and habitual criminals. Occasional criminals are amateurs whose acts are unskilled, and unplanned, Occasional crime occurs when there is a situational inducement Frequency of occasional crime varies according to age, race, gender etc
“I came from a real tough neighborhood. Once a guy pulled a knife on me. I knew he wasn’t a professional, the knife had butter on it.”
― Rodney Dangerfield
Occasional criminals are not completely immoral or unstable people, they are good people which either the society or the law failed to protect, like if someone who know that he/she can never afford a car to care for his/her family is walking by a car and it happens to be unlocked & the person notices they might take that car stereo because he/she believes that’s the only opportunity he/she will ever get to own a car, but don’t mean to indulge in car stealing business, nor feel any good about having commit the act. They commit those crimes and offences which do not indicate natural criminality, or else crimes and offences against person or property, but under personal and social conditions altogether different from those in which they are committed by born and habitual criminals.
They are not subject to any type of deprived childhood, hereditary disorders, or anything of the sort, but merely through unintentional and unpremeditated circumstances.
They can be described as those who are easily manipulated and influenced to do things they wouldn’t normally do.
They could be suffer from the disease epilepsy, which is characterized by violent, uncontrollable seizures.
Habitual Criminals
A habitual criminal is a person convicted of a new crime who was previously convicted of a crime. A person who frequently has been convicted of criminal behaviour and is presumed to be a danger to society. In an attempt to protect society from such criminals, that person with persistent tendencies to commit crimes should be quarantined from society as would someone with a seriously infectious disease. This Category includes Criminals who do it out if pure evilness, addiction, psychopathia or simple pleasures of it. Like a rapists is likely do it over for the pure pleasure of feeling power over someone’s vulnerability, not out of fear, greed or need. And Drug addict, continuing the dosage with any real necessity or mentally unstable serial killer, attending the crime regardless of risks and immorality of the act for no logical reason.
“Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is also true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on.”
John F. Kennedy
Various state and jurisdictions may have laws targeting habitual offenders, and specifically providing for enhanced or exemplary punishments or other sanctions. They are designed to counter criminal recidivism by physical incapacitation via imprisonment. Habitual offenders may be exposed to harsher legal penalties than a first-time offender. That is, having a criminal record involving many convictions may result in greater criminal penalties than what is normally indicated in criminal statutes.
Occasional Criminals Slideshare
For example; A first-time DUI offense is usually a misdemeanor charge resulting in criminal fees and jail time for less than one year. However, a second or third DUI offense may be “elevated” to a felony charge, which can result in higher fees and time in prison for more than one year.
In theory, identifying and incapacitating such offenders early in their criminal careers should prevent a large number of serious crimes. In practice, however, it is difficult to devise laws that identify not just habitual offenders but all those who are likely to commit serious crimes. For example, many laws stipulate that once an individual has been convicted of three felonies, he should qualify for habitual-offender status and receive a lengthy prison term. However,
No punishment has ever possessed enough power of deterrence to prevent the commission of crimes. On the contrary, whatever the punishment, once a specific crime has appeared for the first time, its reappearance is more likely than its initial emergence could ever have been.
Hannah Arendt
Professional Criminals
Occasional Criminal Examples
crimes committed by persons for whom criminally punishable acts are a permanent occupation and the primary source of money. Persons who engage in professional crime have the skills and means necessary for criminal activity and specialize in some particular type of crime, such as theft or swindling. They are naturally good at what they do, smart enough to be slightly harder to catch, enough to make profit of it. Professional crime has its own and customs. It includes Assassins, drug mafia, robbers, con artists, terrorists etc
“He reminds me of the man who murdered both his parents, and then when the sentence was about to be pronounced, pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was orphan.”
Abraham Lincoln
Rememberable names of evil but incredible professional criminals include Usama Bin Ladin, Aldrich Ames, Karpis gang, Bonnie and Clyde, John Herbert Dillinger and a lot more. Certain factors explains that the professional criminal is differentiated from the occasional criminal, the amateur criminal, and the unskilled criminal. Factors includes,
The pursuit of crime as a regular normal occupation
The development of skilled techniques
Careful planning and Status among criminals
Occasional Criminal Examples
Professionalisation extends beyond the execution of a crime. It involves prior location of spots and prior preparation for escaping punishment in case of the detection of crime. Arrangements are made in advance for bail, legal service, and fixing the case. It is in these advance arrangements, quite as much as in the technique of executing the crime, that professionalisation is found.
Occasional Criminals Cases
For example, Committing robbery in a professional way involves finding a person carrying a good amount of money, ornaments, jewels, etc., locating a place for the holdup, planning the hold-up, and executing the job. Generally speaking, a professional crime is committed in a non-violent way, though sometimes it involves violence too.
The man who is admired for the ingenuity of his larceny is almost always rediscovering some earlier form of fraud. The basic forms are all known, have all been practiced. The manners of capitalism improve. The morals may not.
Occasional Criminals Meaning
John Kenneth Galbraith