Sources

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesare_Beccaria
http://www.constitution.org/cb/beccaria_bio.htm
http://homepage.newschool.edu/het//profiles/beccaria.htm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/57861/Cesare-Beccaria

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On Crimes and Punishments

I employed some concepts such as rationalism, the social contract, and utility. I made these new ideas my own and try to ensue ideas about unfair punishment to the government. I feel there is no reason to practice capital punishment because the use of imprisonment can keep determined criminals out of the the streets and would surely be sufficient. "For a punishment to be just it should consist of only such gradations of intensity as suffice to deter men from committing crimes." The use of unfair conviction should not be considered either because men of higher rank may receive special privileges that lead to minor punishments while the regular citizens are charged with larger crimes. I also believe that the crimes charged should be adjusted to the severity of the crime. Different crimes should have different punishments such as non-harmful crimes and physically harmful crimes. The criminal system should try to prevent the same criminals from committing the same crime again. It is unfair to humanity if the death penalty is advocated by instead, put all criminals the committed severe crimes to be imprisoned for life. Other smaller crimes on owned property should be fined instead of facing cruel punishments.

Not a Big Fan of Capital Punishment

In On Crimes and Punishment, I believe that capital punishment is not necessary to deter, and long term imprisonment is a more powerful deterrent since execution is transient. Following Hobbes, I believe that, in the social contract, we negotiate away only the minimal number of rights necessary to bring about peace. So people try hold onto their right to life, not hand this over to the public for their entertainment. I feel that capital punishment does not help to detain criminals, especially ones that are determined to get out. I believe that continuous slavery is a more effective deterrent than capital punishment. Since we should choose the least severe punishment which accomplishes our purpose (that is, deterrence), then long-lasting slavery is the preferred mode of punishment for the worst crimes. I also believe that furthering the death penalty will have much more worse effects on society which will reduce the feelings of their sensitivity to human suffering. Although capital punishment is practiced in most countries, it will soon be abolished and changed for the better. I try to urge rulers to adopt this stance against capital punishment, and will help them to achieve fame as a great ruler. "False is the idea of utility that sacrifices a thousand real advantages for one imaginary or trifling inconvenience; that would take fire from men because it burns, and water because one may drown in it. . . The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."

Influence in America

Around the time I was writing On Crimes and Punishments, the United States was coming together as a nation. Their founding fathers had been influenced by materials that I had been working on. In their Constitution and Bill of Rights, many of their rights that they have as U.S. citizens, accept necessary concepts that come from the works of classical criminology. They have received rights such as: rules against vagueness, right to public trial, right to be judged by peers, right to dismiss certain jurors, right against unusual punishments, right to speedy trial, right to examine witnesses, coerced or tortured confessions are considered unacceptable, right to be informed of accused acts and the right to bear arms. Their Constitution was greatly inspired by my works and many of the rights that the U.S. citizens have are largely based on the rights that I believe in for all people. I am extremely glad and proud that my beliefs, created into literary texts, were able to help people in other countries achieve fair punishments and punishments of different levels for the crime committed.

Working in Economics

Although I was not able to to make a difference in the oncoming treatises, my career was fruitful and constructive. In 1768 I was accepted into the chair in public economy and commerce at the Palatine School in Milan, where I was given the privilege to lecture. It was a great experience that I had spent in those two years. I had a reputation as a pioneer in economic analysis and it was based primarily on these lectures that I had to give and they were published in 1804 under the title Elementi di economia pubblica (“Elements of Public Economy”). In 1771 I was appointed to the Supreme Economic Council of Milan and remained a public official for the remainder of my career. My public role soon led to concerns with a large problems, including monetary reform, labor relations, and public education. I had a report written that largely influenced the succeeding adoption of the metric system in France. I was grateful for the receiving such a great privilege, being able to tell my thoughts and ideas to others. I was especially glad that my career flourished and produced such great results. However, my reform ideas led to some conflicts with the government.

Life of Cesare Beccaria

I was born on March 15, 1738 in the beautiful city of Milan, Italy. I come from a wealthy aristocratic family and was able to study in the Jesuit college in Parma. Two of my closest friends, Pietro and Alessandro Verri, helped to create the L'Accademia dei pugni or the Academy of Fists. Alessandro was quite familiar with the criminal system due to the fact that he had been working in prisons in Milan. Pietro had some information about the prison, but they were a bit vague. However, he was able to write down and process some of the information and turn it into a text.  Our work explained how capital punishment should be lightened and only used if absolutely necessary. We also wanted other methods of punishment such as using explicit torture  and unequal sentencing to be removed as soon as possible. We focused on the reformation of the system of punishment at the time. We also felt the need to change the system  which helped to create my book, On Crimes and Punishments. It was inspired by the unfair punishments of that were used to sentence people of crimes. I was invited to meet philosophers of and speak with them. Although I had not made a great impression on the philosophers, I was being recognized and received certain political offices in Italy. Even so, attention was brought up and it concerned the criminal justice system. I was glad to find out that many distinguished philosophers and rulers read my treatise. It was soon published in languages of all kinds and more people were able to read what I thought was the real kind of equality. I was unable to produce another book due to the restrictions held in Austria. However, my publications were not very popular among the Austrians and was also not widely spread. I was working quietly for the Austrian government and have been. I did not produce any other works especially not because I needed moral support from my friends.

My later years were beset by family difficulties and problems of health. I was not fond of all the attention that I was getting from people who read my treatise. While I was in to Paris, my visit was cut short his visit because of acute homesickness. After the death of my wife in 1774 was due to a period of declining health. A few months later I remarried. Property disputes initiated by my two brothers and sisters resulted in litigation that distracted me for many years. I witnessed several saddening events during Revolution in France: I was not a great supporter of the French Revolution but  it was something that could help with my causes. I was  extremely shocked by the ongoing event of the Terror.