Final answer:
Positivist thinkers advocate for a scientific, evidence-based approach to criminal justice, focusing on factors that contribute to crime and supporting rehabilitation over punitive measures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Positivist thinkers within the sphere of criminal justice systems believe that the system should employ a scientific approach to understanding human behavior, emphasizing causation of criminal behavior by factors beyond the individual's control, such as biology, psychology, and social environment. These thinkers support the implementation of policies to reduce crime that target raising the costs of crime, including opportunity costs, and may blend various methods like legalization, prevention, incarceration, rehabilitation, and restorative justice. The overall aim is to develop evidence-based strategies that address not only the crime but also the underlying issues that contribute to criminal behavior, favoring systems that are rehabilitative over purely punitive.