Morality & Justice: Purposes Flashcards
What is retribution?
Punishment is a form of retribution. Punishment should make the criminal pay for what they have done wrong.
In the UK, retribution can be found in Community Service, Fines and outside the UK – Capital punishment.
Benefits of retribution?
- Release of anger
- Deterrent values e.g. less likely to graffiti if
you have spent 100 hours cleaning it - Shows you won’t be the victim of crime
without issuing a pay back
Drawbacks of Retribution?
- When does cycle of retribution end
- Have been examples of people who have
been executed or imprisoned, however
years later further proof comes to light & it
is discovered these people were innocent - Does it really make the victim feel better
issuing the same punishment
What is deterrence?
Punishment should put people off committing crime.
Examples include prison & electronic tagging.
Benefits of Deterrence?
- People will avoid doing wrong because they
will have been put off by knowing what will
happen to them - Deterrence is better than retribution. It
aims to put off crime before it happens but
by the time retribution is served, the
damage is done - If deterrence works then crimes will be
greatly reduced, the world will be a nicer
place and you won’t ever have to come
face to face with the long arm of the law
Drawbacks of Deterrence?
- No reliable way of checking just how much
crime would have happened if people
hadn’t been put off - Offenders don’t generally think about what
is right or wrong of what they are doing or
what the consequences are - Whether or not it is right for society to use
some people as an example & punish them
harshly just to warn others of
What is Reformation?
Punishment should reform the criminal.
Examples include rehabilitation for prisoners with addiction & education for prisoners
Benefits of Reformation?
- If it works, you wouldn’t reoffend & on
release might work to stop others
committing crime you got into jail for - Won’t leave prison wanting to get revenge
on society & might come out feeling
grateful for help received - Society protected from you committing any
more crime
Drawbacks of Reformation?
- People on outside don’t trust criminals as
they find it hard to believe people really change, meaning efforts to reform are wasted - Expensive to run reformative
punishments/treatments & if a criminal
leaves prison & returns to crime, money has
been wasted - If prison is about reformation, it might
become a nice cushy place – Won’t protect
society as criminal comes out same way
went in
What is Protection?
Punishment should protect society from the criminal & the criminal from themselves.
Examples include murderers being locked up for life & the death penalty.
Benefits of Protection?
- Offender in prison means they cannot
commit crime again - If offender has been punished, hopefully
been put off committing crime again - Everyone happier apart from the criminal
(main point)
Drawbacks of Protection?
- Offender released at some point & if
haven’t changed ways, released back into
society ready to commit crime - Prisoners kept in an enclosed space
together. Could lead to teaching each other
new skills. (School of Crime) - Time in prison may cause offender to
become more & more resentful & angry at
society
Christian View of Retribution?
Old testament says, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (Exodus 21:24-25) which seems to justify retribution as a punishment.
However, the New testament says, “if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” (Matthew 5:38-39) meaning that forgiveness is more important than retribution
Christian View of Protection?
Strong should protect the weak. Need to protect innocent people from harm, but also need to protect criminals from doing harm unto themselves
Christian View of Reformation?
Support reformative punishments because they believe that everyone can change for the better, no matter what they have done.
