Social Theory,Civil Rights,and Crime

Abstract

Fundamental changes have occurred in juvenile court pro cedure, the administration of probation and parole, and the op eration of correctional institutions. While they do not constitute a "criminal law revolution," they are steps in "an orderly evolu tion." These changes, which re-emphasize our constitutional guar antees of civil rights, have been brought about largely through decisions in the federal and state supreme courts, not through sociological theory. Sociological theories of the causes of crime- especially individual psychological, social psychological learning, and functional sociological theories—have not been validated by empirical research and do not explain crime from a truly scien tific point of view. They have not been of much practical utility to correctional workers.