Crime and Punishment:  What We Get Wrong about Deterrence Book Talk

In this presentation, Mears and Stafford discuss what is and is not known about the effects of legal punishment on crime deterrence.  They discuss the incomplete classical account of deterrence theory and how it creates challenges in interpreting extant empirical research.  They then present what they call Comprehensive Deterrence Theory (CDT), a reconceptualization of classical deterrence theory.  CDT more fully identifies the conditions under which legal punishments deter and has significant implications for assessing and guiding research and for improving policy.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required.

Speaker Bios:

Daniel P Mears, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Research Professor at Florida State University and is a faculty member in the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, where he conducts research on crime and policy.  A Fellow of the American Society of Criminology and recipient of the Bruce Smith, Sr. Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, his work has appeared in crime, law, and justice journals and in several books, including American Criminal Justice Policy, Out-of-Control Criminal Justice, and Fundamentals of Criminological and Criminal Justice Inquiry.  With Mark C. Stafford, he recently co-authored Comprehensive Deterrence Theory:  The Science and Policy of Punishment.

Dr. Mark C. Stafford is a Professor Emeritus in the School of Criminal Justice & Criminology (SCJC) at Texas State University.  Dr. Stafford joined SCJC as the inaugural doctoral program coordinator and has since mentored dozens of TXST’s PhD graduates.  Dr. Stafford also has a prolific scholarly record.  His work appears in the most selective journals in the world, and he has produced some of the most influential work on deterrence theory.  His most recent scholarly work is Comprehensive Deterrence Theory:  The Science and Policy of Punishment, published by Cambridge University Press.