criminalization
Declaring something unlawful
Criminalization is the act or process of making something illegal—turning conduct that was previously lawful or tolerated into a criminal offense.
The term often appears in policy debates: the criminalization of marijuana, the criminalization of homelessness.
It can also describe treating people as criminals: Critics argue that immigration enforcement has led to the criminalization of asylum seekers.
Official restriction on something
- illicitProhibited by law
- forbiddenNot allowed
- contrabandProhibited trade goods
- unlawfulForbidden by statute
proscribe · taboo · interdict · suppress · restrict · disallow · outlawing · illegal
Official rules governing conduct
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- enforcementCompelling compliance with rules
- governanceHow authority is exercised
legislation · reform · legalization · drug policy · mass incarceration · racial disparity · overcriminalization · moral panic
Official enactment of statutes
- statuteEnacted written rule
- felonySerious criminal offense
- misdemeanorLesser criminal charge
- penalRelating to punishment
prosecution · conviction · indictment · arraignment · repeal · amendment · jurisprudence · judiciary
Confinement in jail
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
- retributionPunishment for wrongdoing
deterrence · probation · parole · correctional · rehabilitation · fine · restitution · detention
Unjust differential treatment
- labelingAssigning identifying markers
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- ostracismBanishment from a group
marginalization · stereotype · exclusion · felon · ex-convict · scarlet letter · social death · housing discrimination
ban
Official restriction on something
- illicitProhibited by law
- forbiddenNot allowed
- contrabandProhibited trade goods
unlawful · proscribe · taboo · interdict · suppress · restrict · disallow · outlawing · illegal · blacklist
regulation
Official rules governing conduct
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- enforcementCompelling compliance with rules
governance · legislation · reform · legalization · drug policy · mass incarceration · racial disparity · overcriminalization · moral panic · broken windows
legislation
Official enactment of statutes
- statuteEnacted written rule
- felonySerious criminal offense
- misdemeanorLesser criminal charge
penal · prosecution · conviction · indictment · arraignment · repeal · amendment · jurisprudence · judiciary · offense
incarceration
Confinement in jail
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
retribution · deterrence · probation · parole · correctional · rehabilitation · fine · restitution · detention · custody
discrimination
Unjust differential treatment
- labelingAssigning identifying markers
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- shamePainful awareness of failure
ostracism · marginalization · stereotype · exclusion · felon · ex-convict · scarlet letter · social death · housing discrimination · disenfranchisement
- drug policynarcotics, drug reform, drug enforcement, drug policy, cannabis legalization
- LGBTQ rightsgay rights, trans rights, lesbian rights, gay marriage, marriage equality
- criminologydeviance, recidivism, deviant behavior, delinquency, incarceration rates
- sex workstripping, pornography, massage parlors, red light districts, pimping
- HIV/AIDSHIV, AIDS, AIDS crisis, AIDS quilt, antiretrovirals
- punishmentpunishment, prison, jail, execution, hanging
criminalizationdecriminalization
Ending criminal status
legalization · deregulation · amnesty · authorization · sanctioning
criminalizationnormalization
Adjusting to a standard
acceptance · legitimization · endorsement · destigmatization · tolerance