Crime Theories and Prevention:Junko Furuta’

In Singapore, criminals below the age of 18 will not receive the death penalty. Instead, s/he would be imprisoned indefinitely at ‘The President’s Pleasure’.

Look up the case of ‘Junko Furuta’ on the Internet. Junko Furuta—the victim, was a 16-year-old who was kidnapped, tortured and eventually murdered by a group of juveniles in Japan. While the ringleader received a relatively long jail term, his accomplices received relatively short jail terms for their participation in the crime.

1)    Examine (i) the theories of crime and

2)    theories of punishment with reference to this case.

3)    If this case were to occur in Singapore today, how do you think the offenders ought to have been dealt with?

4)    do you think juveniles like them should have been spared from the gallows, or should they have been sentenced to death? Give reasons (via concepts or theories learnt) for your answer.

To do well for this assignment, not only must you refrain from merely describing the case or the theories,

you would also have to clearly and narrowly define and critique the issues, and integrate your analysis into a coherent, persuasive essay.

*In your paper, do not focus solely on presenting the facts of the case. You should also write your paper as one continuous essay.