Question

There are 5 contemporary philosophies regarding the purpose of punishment. Which do you think is most relevant and effective today? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

• There are five punishment philosophies used in the criminal justice system,deterrence, rehabilitation, incapacitation, retribution, and restoration.The goal of each philosophy is to prevent criminal offenses from occurring.
• The first philosophy is deterrence, this philosophy tries to convince people not to commit crimes or violate laws. When a person decides not to do something like parking in a handicapped space because they will be fined for breaking the law, this is called deterrence.
• The philosophy of rehabilitation is when the criminal justice system tries to end criminal behavior by curing offenders of breaking the law.
• The philosophy of incapacitation often involves physically restraining offenders from victimizing others.Incapacitation also means to prevent crimes and isolating offenders from the rest of society in prisons. When offenders are placed behind bars they are notable to victimize other people in society. Incapacitation is not limited to prison or jail, it also includes house arrest, or inpatient treatment programs
• Retribution is justified to as any penalty, no matter how harsh, and is based on the 'an eye for an eye' concept of criminal punishment. The retributive theory is punishing the offender by taking away their advantages that they might have gained from their criminal or illegal acts. Under this theory,criminals deserve to be punished for the wrongful acts they have committed.
• Restoration is when the criminal offender makes restitution to the victim.Restoration is when the criminal offender pays for any damage or lost property encountered by the victim when the crime is committed. Restoration is almost like undoing the crime that was committed against the victim and tries to restore their life back to what it might have been like before the crime was committed.
• In my opinion,Rehabilition is being used effectively today wherein prisoners are being vocationally trained in prisons to become better citizens of the society,and make a life for themselves when they get out.Also be able to support their families financially.
• The basic idea of rehabilitation through imprisonment is that a person who has been incarcerated will never want to be sent back to prison after they have been set free. It is hoped that an inmate’s experiences while locked up will leave such a lasting impression that a former prisoner will do whatever it takes to avoid a second term.
• In an effort to offer better rehabilitative services to the inmates, many prisons have begun providing psychiatrists to help deal with prisoners’ mental disorders and psychological issues.
• They learn carpentary,computers,haircutting,music etc. and many other vocational skills.Prisons also offer classroom settings in which inmates can learn to read and educate themselves. These methods are proven to have a positive effect on the prisoners and have helped many to overcome a background with little or no education. Upon their release, prisoners who have stuck with these programs are given a better opportunity to succeed and to become law abiding citizens.