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Convicted Felons Labeling Theory

1592 Words7 Pages

Convicted Felons and the Labeling Theory
Paige Leary
November 30, 2015
Criminology

Delinquent, criminal, felon, all are labels that society give people who have been convicted of crime and therefore believed to have no respect for the law. Once an individual has been associated as someone who has no respect for the law they are often ostracized from their social groups. When a criminal has been denied by their friend groups they often begin to associate with people who are “like” them meaning that they are now associated with people who also engage in deviant behavior (Forensic Psych). All of the delinquent behavior that occurs after they have been ostracized from their original social group has been often the cause of them being …show more content…

If an individual makes the decision to commit a crime that is punishable by death or a term in a federal prison the question arises, why should they be allowed back into society? Most people can agree that they do not want someone who is a convicted felon amongst those who have not, not only for their safety but as well as their sanity because no one wants a criminal of such serious crimes to have the same rights and opportunity as them. In Florida the law grants judges the ability to withhold adjudication of guilt for individuals who are being convicted of a felony but are being sentenced to probation (Florida). By sentencing an individual to probation and withhold adjudication of guilt than these people do not lose an civil rights and are able to fill out employment applications without having to say that they had been convicted of a felony. The ability for a judge to withhold adjudication of guilt for an individual who has been found guilty of committing a felony is a direct reflection of the Labeling Theory. The labeling theory is that a career in criminal behavior will continue as long as that individual is continued to be singled out and is treated like a criminal. For example when someone is labeled as a delinquent this acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy and the individual feels as though this is all that …show more content…

It is difficult for someone who has committed and convicted of a crime to ever be free of association from that, regardless of whether or not they change their deviant behavior in hopes to turn their life around. It is easier to understand that someone who is convicted of a serious crime should be tagged with a label in order to allow the public to feel safe. If a criminal is convicted of a petty crime I believe that it would be more understandable to allow them more lenience in order for that individual to seek

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