ABSTRACT
Deterrence theory has long been a focus of discussion and research in criminology from the standpoint of the effects of omnibus crime control policies. Its key propositions also inform more focused crime prevention efforts—at least nominally. This chapter considers how criminological theory can help illuminate why practical efforts at offender deterrence are often ineffective. In part, this is true because these programs generally draw on insights produced by work on traditional theories of crime in only limited ways. The chapter ties practical deterrence-based interventions to theoretical and empirical knowledge about how individuals might respond to these programs. The comparative analysis in the chapter focuses on the cases of “Scared Straight” and “pulling levers” programs as they exemplify (or not) key tenets of deterrence theory and research and how this might explain the body of research that has accumulated for each. The implications for deterrence theory and practical crime prevention efforts are considered in the latter part of the chapter.
