How did the neoclassical school change ideas about legal responsibility for children and people with mental illness?

The neoclassical school, which emerged during the revolutionary period in France, significantly modified the earlier classical school's rigid doctrine. While the classical school viewed all criminal acts as deliberate choices based on a calculation of pleasure and pain, the neoclassical school introduced the necessity of recognizing varying degrees of moral and legal responsibility.1

Specifically, the neoclassical school insisted that the law must account for the personal characteristics of the offender. It established the principle that individuals such as children and those suffering from mental illness should not be held to the same standard of responsibility as others, as they may lack the capacity for full moral agency. Furthermore, this school advocated for the consideration of mitigating circumstances in general.1

This shift laid the foundation for the "individualization of punishment"—the concept that the justice system should focus on the specific individual rather than solely on the crime committed. This principle remains a cornerstone of modern penology, influencing how legal systems approach criminal responsibility and the treatment of offenders today.1