Write a short note on explain the schools of thought of Free-will School and Classical School of Criminology.

Explaining the Schools of Thought of Free-will School and Classical School of Criminology

1. Free-will School:

The Free-will School of criminology, also known as the choice theory or rational choice perspective, posits that individuals have free will and rational decision-making capabilities, allowing them to choose whether to engage in criminal behavior. This school of thought emphasizes the role of individual choice, personal responsibility, and conscious decision-making in criminal conduct. Key principles of the Free-will School include:

• Rational Decision-Making: According to this perspective, individuals weigh the potential costs and benefits of their actions before engaging in criminal behavior. They make rational choices based on their perceptions of risk, reward, and opportunity costs.

• Deterrence Theory: The Free-will School emphasizes deterrence as a central mechanism for preventing crime. Deterrence theory suggests that individuals can be dissuaded from committing crimes by the threat of punishment, provided that the punishment is swift, certain, and proportionate to the offense.

• Individual Accountability: The Free-will School holds individuals accountable for their actions and emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility in crime prevention and control. It rejects explanations that attribute criminal behavior solely to external factors such as social environment or biological predispositions.

2. Classical School of Criminology:

The Classical School of criminology emerged during the Enlightenment era in the 18th century and is considered the foundation of modern criminology. This school of thought, pioneered by theorists such as Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham, focused on understanding the causes of crime and developing rational approaches to crime prevention and punishment. Key principles of the Classical School include:

• Social Contract: The Classical School proposed a social contract between individuals and society, whereby individuals voluntarily relinquish certain freedoms in exchange for protection of their rights and property. Crime is seen as a violation of this social contract and disrupts social order.

• Utilitarianism: Utilitarianism, a moral philosophy advocated by Bentham, suggests that punishment should be based on the principle of the greatest good for the greatest number. Punishments should be proportionate to the offense and aimed at deterring future criminal behavior.

• Certainty and Severity of Punishment: Classical theorists argued that punishment should be swift, certain, and severe to deter individuals from committing crimes. Certainty of punishment is considered more important than severity, as long as the punishment is sufficient to outweigh the perceived benefits of crime.

In summary, the Free-will School emphasizes individual choice, rational decision-making, and personal responsibility in criminal behavior, while the Classical School of Criminology emphasizes the social contract, utilitarianism, and deterrence as key principles for understanding and preventing crime. Both schools of thought have contributed to the development of modern criminological theory and continue to influence contemporary approaches to crime prevention and criminal justice policy.