CCJ-2020 Chapter 12: Ch. 12 -- Punishment and Sentencing
11 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
Ultimately aimed at maintaining social order but the justifications of sentencing speaks to. Deterrence: punishment is the basis for affecting the future choices and behavior of individuals. To be effective the public must be reminded about the likelihood/severity of punishment. Must believe they will be caught, prosecuted, and be given a specific punishment for a crime. Punishment must be severe enough to impress them (ie cost outweigh benefits: specific deterrence: punishment inflicted on criminals to discourage them from committing future crimes. Amount/kind of punishment is calculated to discourage repeat offending: difficulties. Assumes all people think before they act. Doesn"t account for those under the influence, with mental illness, or who acted impulsively. General must be seen as fast, certain, and severe: hard to measure the effects of deterrence because we only notice those who were not deterred. Little ability to reduce crime by imposing severe sanctions weakening public support/belief.
