Religious Attitudes To Crime And Punishment Flashcards
1
Q
What causes crime? (4)
A
- lack of education.
- abusive and violent families.
- drug, alcohol or gambling addictions.
- mental illness / psychological problems.
2
Q
Types of crime? (3)
A
- crime against the person = crime directed against an individual / group of people (murder).
- crimes against the state = crime directed against a country (selling secret documents).
- crimes against property = crime directed against somebody else’s belongings (burglary).
3
Q
What are religious offences? (4)
A
- an offence against a religion (breaking a religious law).
- Christianity =
- “you shall not cover the your neighbours house/wife/servant/ox or donkey or anything else that belongs to your neighbour”.
- “you shall not steal”.
- Blasphemy = insulting God or sacred items.
4
Q
What are the 6 aims of punishment?
PRDRVR
A
- protection = to keep the public from being harmed, threatened or injured by criminals.
- retribution = to receive revenge and giving the criminal what they deserve (“an eye for an eye”).
- deterrence = to put people off committing crimes (if there is a punishment, they won’t commit a crime).
- reformation = to change a criminal’s behaviour for the better (face to face meeting with victim).
- vindication = to show offended that the law is right and that they must be punished if they do not respect the law.
- reparation = to ask the offender to make up for the crime they have committed (community service).
5
Q
Christian responses to the aims of punishment. (4)
A
Christianity =
- most don’t support retribution but would support the other aims.
- law need to be upheld.
- most believe that most important aim is to reform criminals to become law abiding citizens.
- “if your brother sins, rebuke him and if he repents, forgive him”.
6
Q
Different forms of punishment (3)
A
Young Offenders = a place where people under the age of 18 go if they have broken the law.
Prisons = a place where people over the age of 18 go if they have broken the law.
Capital Punishment = the death penalty (the ultimate price to pay for a crime committed - murder).
7
Q
Religious attitudes to Prisons. (3)/(3)
A
ADVANTAGES =
- they protect society from dangerous and violent criminals.
- they act as a deterrent to others and make sure that the law is respected (vindication).
- it gives offenders a chance to reflect on their actions and decide to change (Christians believe this is key).
DISADVANTAGES =
- they are very expensive (cost 30,000 a year per person).
- they don’t always work (70% reoffend on release).
- children are deprived of a parent through no fault of their own.
8
Q
Religious attitudes to Capital Punishment. (3)/(3)
A
ADVANTAGES =
- it deters people from doing unexplainable crimes because they know the huge consequence (deterrence).
- it cost far less to kill a murderer than to keep them alive in prison.
- it allows the deserving people to die (retribution) “a life for a life”.
DISADVANTAGES =
- innocent people have been executed for a crime they didn’t commit.
- there is no evidence of the death penalty is more of a deterrent than life imprisonment (deterrence).
- some Christians believe that only God has the right to end a persons life.
9
Q
What is community service?
What is electronic tagging?
A
- when offenders have committed less serious crimes under punished by making amends to the community.
- when a prisoner has been released early and has their movements tracked.
10
Q
What is Probation?
What is Parole?
A
- the release of an offender who is observed by a probation officer in everyday life.
- when a prisoner is released without having completed their sentence because they have behaved well and accepted their guilt.
11
Q
What is Life Imprisonment?
What is Early Release?
A
- a prison sentence that keeps people in prison until they die (after 15 years the criminal becomes eligible for parole).
- when are prisoners load out of prison early for demonstrating good behaviour and have convince the authorities they have reformed.
