AC2.2 Flashcards
Retribution
Retribution is inflicting punishment on an offender as revenge for the crime they have committed. It is seen to be proportionate to the crime they committed (“eye for an eye”) e.g. receiving the death penalty if found guilty of murder. The purpose of retribution is to express moral outrage felt by society by justifying already committed crimes; it is not a way of preventing future crime. Retribution is supported by Right Realists who believe in the rational choice theory. This is the belief that offenders consciously choose to commit crime so they should be fully responsible for their actions. Retribution as a punishment is therefore seen as justifiable because offenders made a choice to break the moral code in society.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation aims to reduce recidivism by addressing the root cause of criminal behaviour. It does not focus on offender’s previous acts but uses treatment programmes to change their future behaviour. Programmes such as education, training and anger management courses in prisons allow offenders to avoid unemployment etc so they can reintegrate back into society once released, preventing the need for them to reoffend. Rehabilitation is supported by Left Realists as it acknowledges how social factors e.g. poverty and unemployment lead to people committing crime. Rehabilitation is also supported by Cognitive theories e.g. CBT which teaches offenders to correct thinking errors (anger management programmes) which can reduce aggressive behaviour e.g. assault and therefore future crime.
