Punishment

Punishment

The five main purposes of punishment include retribution, rehabilitation, restoration, deterrence, and incapacitation. People who have committed crime have to suffer the consequences. The punishment given can be in form of hardships such as physical pain and loss of freedom. In many cases, the punishment given should be equal to the harm done. An example of retribution would be imposing a fine for harm done to an individual. Restoration aims at reinstating the offenders to their previous state before they committed the crime. It differs from retribution in the sense that it aims to repair the harm done. Restoration would involve doing community work as a form of punishment.

The idea behind the rehabilitation perspective is to reduce the chances of committing crimes in future. Those who support rehabilitation hold the perspective that it is possible to unlearn criminal behavior. Training on anger management and providing opportunities to learn different skills are examples of rehabilitation programs. The deterrence principle aims at using a specific offender as an example to would-be offenders. Those who support this principle do so with the hope that potential offenders will abstain from committing crime for fear of receiving a similar sentence. The incapacitation principle aims at preventing the offender from doing more harm. This will involve imprisoning the offender for a long time.

Retribution seems to be the most common form today. It has received support from policy makers as well as from the society. Many people believe that offenders should suffer for the harm they have inflicted on others. They support the idea that offenders deserve the punishment they get. Punishing the offender in this way makes the people feel that they have received some form of justice and that the lawbreaker has paid the debts he owes them. It is an age-old system, which has been developed and practiced over time, and people have come to accept the kind of punishments offered. Deviating from such a system would be disrupting an established order in the society.

I think that rehabilitation is the most effective form. It involves an understanding of the crime and the offender. It supports the idea that people are drawn to crime for different reasons. It not only puts the blame on the individual, but it also considers the societal factors that would be the cause of crime. It goes a step further and ensures that those who offend will not be tempted to do so again, by giving them opportunities to rectify their behaviors, change their attitudes, and provide them with a chance to make a decent living. Identifying the causes of crime and finding ways to help the offenders ensures less crime is committed. Many lawbreakers end up committing other crimes because they do not have an option. Giving them more opportunities in life means that they have a chance to change their old lifestyles and habits. Reformed people will rarely go back to their old ways and this reduces crime.

Some people may prefer one form of punishment such as incarceration or retribution because they do not have the resources to implement other forms of punishment. Although many people recognize the importance of rehabilitation, the society may not be able to provide opportunities to the offenders. They may not be in a position to offer the resources required to train the offenders in matters education or to give them life skills. This limits their choices and they opt for the less expensive options.

 

Reference

Banks, C. (2004). Criminal justice ethics: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE

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