Crime and Punishment

Question 1

What is sin?

Answer 1

A religious offence

Question 2

What is punishment?

Answer 2

Something done to a person because they have broken the law.

Question 3

What is retribution?

Answer 3

Punishment that seeks revenge.

Question 4

What is vindication?

Answer 4

Offenders must be punished to show that the law is right and should be respected.

Question 5

What is reformation?

Answer 5

To change a criminal’s behaviour for the better.

Question 6

What is deterrence?

Answer 6

To put people off committing crimes.

Question 7

What is reparation?

Answer 7

To repay their debt to society.

Question 8

What is protection?

Answer 8

Keeping the public from being harmed, threatened or injured by criminals.

Question 9

Give a quote from the Bible about crime and punishment.

Answer 9

“Father forgive them” - Jesus

“An eye for an eye” - The Bible

Question 10

What are the causes of crimes?

Answer 10

• Social reasons - people without anything constructive to do and little money or parental guidance they turn to crime.
• Environmental reasons - during times of high unemployment crime rates appear to rise
• Psychological reasons - the majority of people in prison are suffering from mental illness or psychological problems.

Question 11

What are the 3 types of crime?

Answer 11

1. Crime against the person
2. Crimes against property
3. Crimes against the state (country)

Question 12

What are religious offences?

Answer 12

Although not strictly crimes, different religions have different rules and breaking them is considered to be a sin.

Question 13

What are the 6 aims of punishment?

Answer 13

Protection - society must be protected.
Retribution - to get revenge (murders in Iran are sentenced to the death penalty)
Deterrence - puts people off
Reformation - change the behaviour of criminals so they can have a better life.
Reparation - to repay their debt to society or correct the wrong they have done.
Vindication - people must see that laws are upheld.

Question 14

What are the Christian teachings on the aims of punishment?

Answer 14

It is right to obey the government and uphold the law because they are for the good of all. However they do not agree with retribution. They believe that punishment was right when necessary but they believe it is better to forgive and reform.

Question 15

What are the Muslim teachings on the aims of punishment?

Answer 15

They believe that only Allah can forgive sins so punishment cannot make something that has been done wrong. Punishment should aim to deter others.

Question 16

What are the types of punishment?

Answer 16

Probation - being supervised by a probation officer at regular intervals
Care orders - a young person under 18 is out in the care of social services
Community service orders - collecting litter or cleaning up graffiti
Tagging - to check that the offender stays at home (curfew)
Cautioning - the offender admits to the crime and this is recorded then no further action is taken
Imprisonment - going to prison
Parole - a prison is released because they have been well behaved and accepted their guilt

Question 17

What is a crime?

Answer 17

An offence that is punishable by law.

Question 18

What is capital punishment?

Answer 18

It is the death penalty. It hasn’t been used in Britain since 1965.

Question 19

What are the arguments for the death penalty?

Answer 19

• Moses taught ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ This means a death for a death.
• It deters potential murderers.
• It is vindication, showing society disapproves of serious crimes.
• It stops the criminal from repeating the offence.
• Why waste money on keeping a convicted murderer in prison? It’s cheaper to execute them.

Question 20

What are the arguments against the death penalty?

Answer 20

• Jesus preached forgiveness, for example, when he defended a woman about to be stoned to death.
• Jesus was an innocent victim of capital punishment - should wee not learn from His example?
• It is no deterrent. They still had ‘Jack the Ripper’ in Victorian days.
• It does not allow for forgiveness or reform.
• Mistakes can be made. Innocent people have been executed.
• Christians believe that life is God-given. No-one has the right to take life away.
• It makes society as bad as the criminal.