Crime : Marx

• Marxist criminologists see power being held by the bourgeoisie and laws reflect ruling class ideology. The legal system (lawyers, judges and the courts) and the police all serve the interests of the ruling class and are used to control society, prevent revolution and keep people in a state of false consciousness.
• Four key points:

  • Capitalism is criminogenic -this means that the capitalist system encourages criminal behaviour.
  • The laws are made by the ruling class and tends to work in their interests.
  • All classes commit crime, and the crimes of the ruling class are more costly than street crime.
  • The state practices selective law enforcement - the criminal justice system mainly concerns itself with policing and punishing the working class.