What does 'entrapment' refer to in criminal law?

Entrapment refers to the situation where law enforcement officials induce a person to commit a crime that they would not have otherwise committed. This doctrine is based on the idea that it is unfair to punish someone for an offense that they were coaxed into committing by government agents. Essentially, if a person is persuaded to commit a crime through deceptive tactics or persuasion by law enforcement, they may have a valid defense of entrapment if prosecuted.

This principle seeks to protect individuals from overreaching by the government, ensuring that law enforcement does not create criminal activity through manipulation or coercion of otherwise law-abiding individuals. Entrapment is a nuanced area of law and typically relies on the specifics of how the interaction between the law enforcement agent and the individual occurred, as well as the individual's predisposition to commit the crime without such inducement.

The other options do not accurately embody the concept of entrapment. Voluntarily committing a crime refers to engaging in illegal activity without any outside persuasion, and preventing a crime through responsible action does not involve inducement at all. Lastly, a legitimate claim of self-defense pertains to justifying one's actions in response to an immediate threat, which is unrelated to the concept of enticing someone into committing a crime.