CJA 431 Universidad Antonio Narino Criminology Paper

By age 21, Billy Smith has spent most of his adolescent years in juvenile detention facilities in California.  His crimes began small with drug use and theft, but escalated to armed robbery and second degree murder.  Now at 21, Smith was serving the next 4 years of his 20-year sentence at Deuel Vocational Institute (DVI) in Tracy, California.  He will be sent to a California prison when he turns 25.  An analysis of Smith’s youth beginning at age 12 revealed that he had no attachment to his adopting parents, and he dropped out of high school in 10th grade.  He lacked commitment to any socially acceptable endeavors such as after school activities–sports, etc. His only involvement was with the Bulldog Street Gang in Fresno, California.  Finally, Smith has no belief in any of society’s acceptable values such as educational achievement, respect for others, and work as a means of success.  Your assignment:

1.     Identify the theory that is described above.

2.     Explain how this theory explains criminal behavior

3.     Argue whether this theory explains criminal behavior better than other theories or not.