Compare and contrast the positivist and classical understandings of crime and punishment. Are these theories now merely of historical interest, or do they have contemporary relevance?

... Compare and contrast the positivist and classical understandings of crime and punishment. Are these theories now merely of historical interest, or do they have contemporary relevance? There are a number of theorists who have studied and commented on crime and their understandings of punishment. However, as Emile Durkheim states: "Crime is present not only in the majority of societies of one particular species but in all societies of all types. There is no society that is not confronted with the problem of criminality. Its form changes; the acts thus characterized are not the same everywhere" (Durkheim, cited in Kelly, D.H, p.51, 1979). The above clearly illustrates that crime is a problem but is not differentiated the same everywhere. In this essay, the structure be will be two fold, the first evaluating the classical and positivist perspectives on crime and punishment, including theories from the founding 'fathers'

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