Transgression and Standard Theories: Contributions Toward Penal Abolition

In this paper I propose a transgression theory and a standard theory toward penal abolition. I argue that given the ubiquity of “crime” in human relationships, to speak of “criminal behavior” as deviant nullifies the concept deviance (abnormal, out of the ordinary, etc.). After demonstrating that em...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical criminology (Richmond, B.C.) B.C.), 2018-09, Vol.26 (3), p.325-339
Main Author: Coyle, Michael J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Capitalism
Crime
Criminal justice
Criminality
Criminology
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Deviance
Imprisonment
Law and Criminology
Neocolonialism
Oppression
Social privilege
Studies
Theory
White supremacy
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Summary:In this paper I propose a transgression theory and a standard theory toward penal abolition. I argue that given the ubiquity of “crime” in human relationships, to speak of “criminal behavior” as deviant nullifies the concept deviance (abnormal, out of the ordinary, etc.). After demonstrating that empirically the opposite is the case, I argue for a transgression theory (that most human beings regularly act in ways that transgress the norms and laws they establish) and propose a standard theory (that human beings are both maintainers and transgressors of the social orders they establish). My paper challenges the foundational language (constructions) of “criminal justice” logic that ignore the continuity of the past in the present (white supremacy, neocolonialism, racial capitalism, and gendering enslavement), and that fortify discourse and practice from recognizing, eliminating and standing accountable by rectifying centuries of white privilege, heteronormativity, and the oppression of nonwhite bodies.
ISSN:1205-8629
1572-9877
DOI:10.1007/s10612-018-9404-0