This is a group project presentation for Criminal Theories class, at Fresno Pacific University presented by Christy Walls, Anthony Gutierrez and Melissa Lett March 2010 of the Criminology and Restorative Justice Department. A video is attached and we played a few clips from the 40 min video on the prison system in California.

3. Micro
Inner & Outer
Forces
Mezzo
Social Groups
Macro
Systems & Groups
Biological Family Institutions
Psychological Work Organizations
Social Structures Friends Government
Community

4. Nature and Nurture
Genetic factors
may include:
•Alcoholism
•Temperament
•Criminality
•Depression
•Mental illnesses

5. •Abnormalities
•Deformities
•Brain damage
•Malnutrition
•Lack Physically
•Lack Mentally
•May Be Violent

8. Healthy Family Unhealthy Family

10. •When injustice,
unfairness, or
inconsistency in the
parents occur the child
feels anxious and unsafe.
•They no longer feel
protected
•The child now feels
stress, anxiety, and even
fear as a new norm.
•This causes a negative
homeostasis.
•The child’s stimuli is
changed to a negative
stimuli.
•This leads to a number of
psychological disorders
that may follow into the
cycle of crime.

11. Result of abuse and neglect
• Brain development
• Cognitive delays
• Emotional problems
May lead to these risk factors
• Sexual promiscuity
• Drug use
• Sexually transmitted
diseases
• Cancer
• Obesity
• Social difficulties
• Borderline personality
disorder
• Antisocial disorder
• Violence

12. Factors that may result
from Foster Care
usually have long-term,
permanent
consequences.
•Cognitive Scars
•Psychological Scars
•Emotional Scars
•Physical Scars

13. Individual Characteristics may be depleted
• Coping Mechanisms
• Optimism
• Self Esteem
• Intelligence
• Creativity
• Humor
• Independence
• Peer Acceptance
• Positive Individual Influences such as teachers,
mentors, and role models

14. “An offender will
intellectually and
rationally weigh
out the
consequences
and risks prior to
committing a
crime,”(Cornish
and Clarke).

15. Individual Factors
• Intelligence
• Upbringing
• Personality
Situational Factors
• Peer Pressure
• Drug Dependency
• Vulnerability of the
target

16. •Family Members
•Friends
•Social Groups
•Gangs
•Peers

17. • Children follow in their parents
footsteps.
• Parents are children’s role
models.
• Parents offer their children
guidance through life.
Sante Kames and her son
Kenneth Kames murdered
banker Syed Bilal Ahamed for
refusing them a loan.
Mother and son also murdered
Irene Silverman for being
suspicious of the pair.

18. •States that
Oppositional
Defiant Disorder
during childhood is
a developmental
antecedent to
conduct disorder
during
adolescence.

19. Deviant
behavior &
antisocial
behavior can be
identified
through
parent/child
relationship &
family
processes.

20. Unraveling Juvenile
Delinquency
Three major Discoveries:
1. Age of onset was
a key factor in
understanding
criminal careers.
2. Antisocial
behavior is stable
throughout life.
3. Family
environment.

21. • Child parent attachment
• Parental supervision
• Disciplinary practices
The absence of any of these
three factors encourages
delinquency in adult behavior.

22. •The average age to join a
gang is from the age of 13-
21 years old.
•Family structure is broken.
•Sense of family structure.
•Closeness.
•Excitement.
•Belonging.
•Family tradition.
•Pride.
•No realization of the
danger involved.
•Peer pressure
•No real knowledge of the
consequences.
•Financial gain.

24. Gang initiation comes
in a variety of forms:
•Jumped in
•Sexed in
•Robberies
•Vehicle theft
•Drive by shootings
•Etc…

25. “During
adolescence, teens
spend more time
with their peers
and without adult
supervision.”

26. Contributing
Factors
Environmental
Factors
•Lack of warmth or
attention at home.
•Modeling aggressive
behavior at home.
•Poor supervision.
Individual Factors
•Active, impulsive
personality.
•Lack of empathy for
others.
•Someone who craves
attention & approval from
others.

27. •Environment
•Social Economic
Class
•Race & Culture
•Poverty
•Institutions
•Schools
•Community
•Government
•Religion

28. Social Learning Theory
•Video Games
•Television
•News
•Internet
•Music/Videos
•Movies

29. The American Dream
“The belief that all
members of society can
work hard and make it
on their own adds strain
and pressure to those
who do not have the
means to achieve these
goals.”
This creates social
tensions between the
upper class and the lower
class.
The lower class feels the
strain to achieve the same
goals and status of the
upper class.
Lack of education, Poverty, and High
Unemployment are obstacles in climbing
the American Dream.

30. “Melting Pot of the world”
1. Each culture has its own set of
morals and standards which
may clash with other cultures.
2. The behavior of a group
influenced by cultural beliefs
can provoke a negative
reaction form another group
and can be seen as deviant or
criminal.
•Belief systems
•Religions/non religion
•Customs
•Culture
•Laws

32. • No rehabilitation
• Gangs Control Prisons
• No incentives for
inmates to better
themselves
• Corruption
• Bad legislatures
• Failed Public Safety
System
• Harsh penalties
• Allowing violent
offenders out
• “Get tough on crime”

34. Department of
California Correctional
Officer D.J. Vodicka
Testified in a California
Senate Hearing in 2004
that unveiled the
corrupt Correctional
Officers notorious
Prison Gang known as
“The Green Wall,”

35. • Officer Vodicka
continues to live in fear
for his life.
• His life as well as his
son’s life were
threatened.
• He continues to wear a
bullet proof vest every
day.
• All he did was tell the
truth and live by the
sworn oath he took as
an honorable officer.

36. The warden, Correctional
Officers, Washington and
CCPOA failed to use their
power to change the system.
When inmates leave prison:
• Have had no
Rehabilitation
• Are in a gang
• Have nothing to lose
or gain
• More violent
• Resentful

37. The prison system is
encouraging bad
behavior instead of
working to produce
productive citizens
when released back
into society. Instead
they cycle in and out
of prison.

38. California prisons
are nicknamed,
“Criminal University,”
because when criminals
go to prison, they come
out smarter criminals.
Inmates educate and
train each other on
criminal behaviors
because there is nothing
else for them to do
while serving their time.

39. Once a
person is
given a
label, they
are seen as
deviant and
rejected by
society.

40. When an offender arrives at
a California State Prison, he
or she is automatically
classified by race or gang
affiliation even if they are
not a gang member.
Example:
If a Hispanic male from
Fresno is sent to prison, he is
automatically classified as a
“Fresno Bull Dog," even if he
was never affiliated. This
actually contributes to gangs
for recruitment purposes.

41. Prison Gangs Prison Violence

42. Run down
neighborhoods that no
one cares about and
the windows become
more broken as time
goes on.
The community stops
caring, and crime levels
go up.

43. Family
Friends
Society
Institutions
Individual

44. • Child Welfare Services need to
focus more on family reunification
and healing families.
• Prisoners should not be in charge
of the prisons, guards need be in
charge of the prisons.
• Integrate inmates, and do not
classify them as belonging to a
gang, based on race and
demographics.
• Prisoners should be mandated to
participate and complete
mandatory rehabilitation
programs prior to their release.
• The state needs to provide the
rehabilitation programs so that
offenders can be released back
into the community as productive
members of society.
• More safe houses for those who
do not wish to be gang affiliated
any longer.
• Parenting classes should be
mandated, along with a parenting
certificate prior to birth.
• Drug test welfare recipients.
• Longer substance abuse treatment
programs.
• Substance abuse counselors need to
have college degrees in behavioral
science.
• Middle schools and high schools
need to have a mandatory class
on gang and drug issues.
• More community outreach
programs that involve law
enforcement.
• Community needs to break the
silence when crime occurs.
• Earlier interventions.