Punishment

This paper is a research and outline on crime and punishment. In todays' American society there are four types of punishment which are: retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and societal protection (incarceration). Retribution is an act of moral vengeance by which society makes the offender suffer as much as the suffering caused by the crime. Deterrence is the attempt to discourage the criminality through the use of punishment. Rehabilitation is a program for reforming the offender to prevent later offenses. Societal protection is rendering an offender incapable of further offenses temporarily through imprisonment or permanently by execution (Macionis 2006).

In this paper we will be answering two questions; (1) Which type of punishment deters crime most effectively? (2) Do the consequences of punishment provide any benefits for criminals and society? These are very hard questions to answer but through some thinking and some research we are going to come up with some answers!

Statistics have shown that some criminals have a tendency to relapse into criminal behavior

which raises the question as to whether or not punishment deters crimes. In an effort to evaluate

the results of crime and punishment in American society, clearer definitions of deviant behavior,

retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and the protection of the American society needs to be

established and understood. Criminal deviance can be defined as a recognized violation of societal norms that appear to be immoral; or unacceptable to legal standards. Social control has been determined and decided by laws in order to establish how a society should function for the greater good

2

of the population.

Now that we have a better understanding of deviant behavior and the punishment methods that would follow we are going to learn more about deterrence. The theory of deterrence is based on the idea that the threat of punishment must be severe enough to counter the benefits or pleasures that...