What is the main contribution of Lombroso in Criminology? Explain and illustrate his theory of Criminology?
What is the main contribution of Lombroso in Criminology? Explain and illustrate his theory of Criminology?
Lombroso occupies an important place in criminology. He is considered as the father of the positive school of criminology. Lombroso wan an Italian and served as a doctor in the Italian field army and as a professor of medical science at Turun University.
Lombroso Has mentioned three types of Criminals:
(a) Born Criminals or atavists
There are some people who are born criminals, the criminality is hereditary in them, and it is very difficult to check or prevent criminality in them because they are not affected by circumstances. It is impossible to reform them.
(b) Insane criminals
They have no mental capacity to distinguish between right and wrong and to understand the consequences of the acts. This is the reason that they are not much sensitive to crimes.
(c ) Criminaloid (is a person who projects a respectable, upright facade, in an attempt to conceal a criminal personality. This type, first defined by Cesare Lombroso in the later editions of his 1876 work "the Criminal man". )
Essentially, Lombroso believed that criminality was inherited and that criminals could be identified by physical defects that confirmed them as being atavistic or savage. A thief, for example, could be identified by his expressive face, manual dexterity, and small, wandering eyes. Habitual murderers meanwhile had cold, glassy stares, bloodshot eyes and big hawk-like noses, and rapists had ‘jug ears’.
Lombroso was endlessly curious about crime, criminals and their motivation for offending, as well as their culture. As a result, he collected artifacts created by and belonging to prisoners that he had encountered during his long career.
Lombroso was one of the first to use scientific methods to study crime, and he inspired many others to do the same.
Lombroso views on punishment
He was of the view that punishment is very necessary for the safety of society and the prevention of crime. He was a supporter of death punishment in case of serious crimes.
The first objective of punishment is the security of society and the second is the reformation of the criminal.
Lombroso also said that the sufferers of crime should be compensated by the criminals.