2.2 - Aims of punishments

Question 1

What are the 5 aims??

Answer 1

Deterrence
Retribution
Protection
Rehabilitation
Reparation

Question 2

What is protection??

Answer 2

So dangerous to public they cannot serve sentence in public so no access to ordinary people to be Vs

Question 3

What is deter??

Answer 3

Punishment should be sufficiently unpleasant so as to deter a person from committing a crime. The ultimate deterrent is execution, but for some crimes, it could be a form of imprisonment, fining, or humiliation.

Question 4

What is rehablilitation??

Answer 4

A criminal can be prevented from committing further offenses by making them no longer want to do such a thing. This change of character could be achieved through methods such as the use of reason, education, training, or religious belief.

Question 5

What is retribution??

Answer 5

If someone harms us or society, then it is generally felt that they should be punished for their actions. In the past, this tended to be an ‘eye for an eye’ type punishment.

Question 6

What is reparation??

Answer 6

Offenders have offended society, therefore they should make it up to society or to the victim themselves by performing a specific action, e.g., repairing damage they have caused.

Question 7

What factors can influence views punishement??

Answer 7

Actions of individuals and pressure groups - Liz fry reforming prisons
The media - ending capital punishment in 60s and 80s
Social changes - Domestic abuse and drunk driving
New ideas in Education and Politic - Socialism helps the working class
Liberism helped more tolerant attitude

Question 8

What theories do we link to deterence??

Answer 8

Right realism - rational choice
Social learning

Question 9

What theories do we link to retribution??

Answer 9

Right Realism - Rational choice
Durkheim - moral outrage it performs the function of boundary maintenance

Question 10

What is an example of rehabilitation??

Answer 10

Out of 50 4 re-offended - prison education programmes - 70s

Question 11

What theories do we link to rehabilitation??

Answer 11

Individualistic - rehab seen as a significant aim as they advocate changing the behaviour of offenders

Cognitive theories - teach offenders the correct way of thinking which may lead to criminal behaviour

Skinner’s operating learning theory: use of token economies to encourage acceptable/better behaviour

Question 12

2 critisims with rehabilitation??

Answer 12

Right realists - Argue that rehab has limited success; recidivism rates are high even after undergoing programmes

Marxists - Criticise rehab programmes for shifting responsibility for offending onto the individual’s failings rather than focusing on how capitalism leads people to commit crime