CJS punishment and Prisons

Question 1

3 ways by which punishment (prison) reduces crime?

Answer 1

Deterrence - prison increases the fear of punishment so deterrs criminals away from the rational choice of commiting a crime.

Incapacitation - removing criminals from society so they cannot commit further crime.

Rehabilitation - reforming/re-educating offenders so they no longer offend

Question 2

Outline the functionalist perspective in the CJS

Answer 2

Sees the function of the cjs to uphold social solidarity as people would come together to condemn the criminal and it reinforced shared values on crime.

Question 3

State and describe the two types of justice according to Durkheim

Answer 3

Retributive justice: traditional society has a strong collective conscious so punishment is severe and based on revenge (traditional)

Restituative justice: the function of justice should be to restore the situation such as paying the compensation.

Question 4

Outline the Marxist perspective on punishment

Answer 4

See punishments as serving the interests of the ruling class by maintaining the capitalist social order and keeping workers under control. Althusser argues that punishment is part of the repressive state apparatus that uphold the interest of the ruling class and that punishment is selectively enforced.