The Punishment Of A Criminal - 854 Words

The many different philosophies behind the punishment of a criminal include just about every moral justification that crosses a human being’s mind. The ideology behind philosophies of punishment in the criminal justice system has mainly derived from the globally understood â€Å"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth† from the Old Testament and the clichà © â€Å"The punishment must fit the crime† concerning retributive punishment. Both of these statements involve retributive punishment. This is because most of the criminal justice systems throughout the world have been shaped by this philosophy for centuries. However, there are many more philosophies that produce respectable arguments when concerning the punishment of a criminal. The philosophies covered in this paper will be the Retributive Justification, the Utilitarian Justification, and the Deterrence method of justification. The Retributive Justification involves the highly debated concept of revenge. Simply put, if a crime is committed then punishment should provide the offender with â€Å"what they deserve†. The retributive justification involves the mindset of society and its determination of the punishment for specific crimes. For example, a person could get convicted of drug trafficking and another could get convicted of attempted murder. Both of these people could end up serving the same amount of time behind bars due to specific circumstances such as criminal history. The punishment does not seem to fit the crime in theShow MoreRelatedCriminal Punishment And The Criminal Justice System1193 Words   |  5 Pagesthe criminal justice system apply as much influence over the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness of criminal offenders as the final sentencing decision. Judges have an extensive range of sentencing options. These options range from fines, restitution, and probation to incarcer ation in jail or prison. For much of the 20th century, criminal sentencing practices remained largely unchanged in the United States. Over the past few decades, we have witnessed a practical revolution in criminal punishmentRead MoreThe Major Punishment For Criminal Acts1526 Words   |  7 PagesDavid Worth Thomas Nelson Community College Criminology (ADJ-201) Jeremy Barnett November 3, 2015 In the last few centuries, jails have been utilized as the major punishment for criminal acts. Some of the common punishments used earlier include public humiliation, corporal punishment, and penal bondage. However, capital punishment along with banishment was used for severe offences. In the recent past, according to the statistics from the Department of Justice, an estimated 2338,000 individualsRead MorePunishment And The Criminal Justice System1776 Words   |  8 PagesIf we accept that punishment is justified in certain circumstances, then, ideally, it should only be incurred by individuals whose actions warrant punishment. I think, at least amongst civilised society, this opinion cannot be disputed. The difficult question is not whether punishment should be deserved, but when punishment should be deserved. The quotation above suggests that in order to be worthy of punishment, the defendant must have consciously chosen to have committed the wrong of which he orRead MoreCrime And The Punishments For Criminal Offences2120 Words   |  9 Pagescrime along with the roles of prisons and the punishments for criminal offences. To conclude this essay will research prison conditions and statistics and the alternatives to prison. According to the Oxford dictionary ‘crime’ is defined as, â€Å"An action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law.† Wilson and Herrnstein confirm this definition – â€Å"any act committed in violation of a law that prohibits it and authorizes punishment for its commission.† (p22 1986) CriminologyRead MoreThe Theories And Deterrence Of Criminal Punishment2799 Words   |  12 Pagesdeterrence theorists with respect to the utility of criminal punishment. Labeling theorists and deterrence theorists both aim to make conclusions about why people commit crimes and why people continue to commit crimes over and over again. Although they have similar end goals, the labeling theory and the deterrence theory are very different in the approach that they take to get to the end result. Deterrence theorists try to understand how punishment affects someone’s desire or willingness to commitRead MoreCriminal Punishment And Its Effects On Society1890 Words   |  8 PagesCorrections Criminal punishment focuses on four different purposes, which are â€Å"incapacitation, deterrence, retribution and rehabilitation† (Rome, 2013, p. 269). The concept of incapacitation is the idea that criminal offenders are kept from further committing criminal acts while securely kept in jail/prison. Deterrence is based off of the idea that by others in society seeing criminals punished and put in prison for committing crimes, the chances of others committing crimes are decreased. RetributionRead MoreCapital Punishment Of The Criminal Justice System1407 Words   |  6 PagesIn the United States, capital punishment has always been the spotlight of many debates concerning the consequences of severe crimes. 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With this in mind we must as a society and criminal justice system be able to applyRead MorePunishment Within Criminal Justice, Looking At Different Methods Of Punishment Essay1362 Words   |  6 PagesIn this critical review, I will start by identifying the area of punishment within criminal justice, looking at different methods of punishment from a historical view and contemporary view. I will be looking at the changes of punishment in society and will be evaluating how these changes relate to contemporary practices. When assessing these changes, social and historical aspects that are relevant will be considered when researching and analysing information. I will look at sources such as book chaptersRead MoreRole of Capital Punishment in Modern Criminal Punishment Essay examples976 Words   |  4 PagesRole of Capital Punishment in Modern Criminal Punishment Capital punishment has continued to be used as the major punishment for convicted felons for a long time now. However, it has been a subject of controversy in recent years and has been seen as an inhuman mode of punishment in the modern era. This is because of the various legal challenges it faces and the methods used in executing the punishment, which include the use of a firing squad, lethal injections and the electric chair among others