Learning activity 4

Evidence: My sense of justice

Fuente: SENA

“Freedom for the wolves has often meant death to the sheep.” Isaiah Berlin.

For this evidence, read the following statements. Select to what extent the author agree or disagree with

Read the text and select the position of the author about the facts below:

I strongly agree with the idea that some people are biologically predisposed to become criminals; how
having a genetic predisposition doesn’t determine the actions of an individual. What matters the most,
psychiatrists, is the environment in which any individual is brought up. I think this is something politician
mind when designing preemptive campaigns that aim at reducing crime.
Everyone agrees that crime is bad and we need to stop it. This seems sensible and logical in every way,
need the death penalty to be ‘tough’ on crime? The answer is no, we don’t.

The fallacy that crueler punishments deter crime doesn’t take into account that there are complex social
crime rates, and secondly, that criminals don’t often plan on getting caught or think through all the consequ

Poverty leads to high levels of stress that in turn may lead individuals to commit theft, robbery, or other v
increase crime rates. It’s a crucial fact, However, many other factors influence crime and are correlated wit

In the six plus years I spent in Connecticut’s only state women’s prison, I learned that to change or not to
because there was no question. Every inmate had to believe, at least outwardly, in the ability to transform
it through the day.

So, more police, less crime? It’s not that simple.

The next question is whether the high police numbers can take credit for these significant drops in crime
could assume that more police on the beat would drive crime down even further. The evidence for this argu

It is well accepted that a combination of factors other than police strength can accurately predict crime t
these factors and crime are well known to criminologists. They include education levels, employment leve
rates, the number of families that regularly need crisis assistance, and the heterogeneity of a relevant pop
under the influence of police numbers, or indeed police powers.

This question of whether people change is central to the criminal justice debate that has shifted so rapi
Trump administrations. From President Trump’s comment during the final presidential debate about “bad h
Sessions’ plans to prosecute and lock up even more people than the 2.3 million we have in federal, state
administration’s message is clear: Criminal defendants don’t commit bad acts; they are inherently bad acto
through incarceration. Trump has said this often in interviews and once when he fired someone on The Ap

Debates about criminality have long focused on the relative contributions of environment and genetics
destructive behavior. Although genetic explanations for criminal behavior have been circulated since the e
in the 1700s, until recently, there has not been the scientific evidence to substantiate or refute any claims.
an increase in research on the genetics of behavior, including antisocial behavior. The findings of som
media speculation about its policy implications.

SA = Strongly agree
A = Agree
D = Disagree
SD = Strongly disagree

FACTS
 SA
0. More education, less crimes. X
1. Some people are biologically predisposed to become criminals. (SD)

2. Crime is a consequence of poverty. (A)

3. A criminal can be reformed. (SA)

4. To reduce crime, we just need more police. (D)

5. Some criminals deserve the death penalty x

When you finish your work, send the file to your instructor through the platform as follows:

1. Click on the title of this evidence.

2. Click on Examinar mi equipo and look for the file in your computer. Make sure the file is attached.
3. Leave a comment for the instructor (optional).
4. Click Enviar.

Criterios de evaluación
• Usa el vocabulario relacionado con crímenes y castigos según el contexto requerido.
4

justice

agree or disagree with them.

ecome criminals; however, research has shown that

hat matters the most, according to psychologists and
s something politicians and lawmakers should keep in
 logical in every way, until we ask the question: do we

re are complex social and economic factors that drive

hrough all the consequences of their actions.

ft, robbery, or other violent acts. Thus, poverty should

and are correlated with poverty as well.

at to change or not to change was not the question …

he ability to transform herself if she was going to make

nificant drops in crime. If that were the case, then one

evidence for this argument, however, is scant.

urately predict crime trends. The correlations between

vels, employment levels, income levels, school-leaving
neity of a relevant population. None of these factors is

at has shifted so rapidly between the Obama and the

al debate about “bad hombres” to Attorney General Jeff
have in federal, state and local custody right now, this
are inherently bad actors who need to be incapacitated
d someone on The Apprentice: “People don’t change.”

nment and genetics as components of antisocial and

circulated since the emergence of modern criminology
or refute any claims. The past decade or so has seen
The findings of some of this research have inspired
 SA A D SD

x x
x

e file is attached.

ción
o.