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Relevance of punishment
The importance of restitution
Strengths and weaknesses of punishments
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The theory of punishment as a whole is worth investigating as well. My largest argument against the theory of punishment is that it is not a fair or just operation. The concept of punishment is a way to intentionally harm people. This is not a just way of making a case right, or making a victim heal from any crime they may have been a part of. The victim is not compensated for the damage or harm caused to them. Punishment, in the retributive theory will really only do good in that it deters people from committing crime because they are scared of the punishment- but this simply does not work as well as it should. The restitution theory does not address the issue of who is entitled to cause harm to others, or punish said criminals. Consequentialists argue that punishing someone for their wrongdoings will ensure that they are less likely to commit this act again, but …show more content…
Another way that some argue against pure restitution is to say that is does not have an acceptable implication that punishment does have. Pure restitution lacks implications that are backed with punishment. Additionally, it is argued that pure restitution has an unacceptable implication that punishment also shares. Some say that pure restitution is too individualistic. It is also argued that some harm is beyond repair, and restitution will not solve or make these issues better, and the theory of pure restitution allows us to do nothing at all to the offender. A very controversial issue here is the question of murder. A pure Restitution theory will answer this argument in 3 ways: The murderer still owes a large debt as a result of the harm they caused to the victim and secondary victims, Transferability, substitutability, and pricing. Also, if there is a case with no victim, then paternalistic laws and moralistic laws. What about the very rich offenders? The restitution
Final Exam Kristina McLaughlin Saint Joseph’s University CRJ 565 Question 1: Word Count The judicial system is based on the norms and values that individuals are held to within society. When a person is found guilty of committing a criminal act, there must be a model that serves as the basis of what appropriate punishment should be applied. These models of punishment are often based off of ethical theories and include retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, rehabilitation, and restoration. The retribution model of punishment views the offender as responsible for their actions and as such, the punishment should fit the crime (Mackie, 1982).
Consequentialism is a punishment theory that provides moral justification for punishment by taking into account future consequences and by weighing the intrinsic value of a punishment against other available alternatives. The primary rationale for punishment is to bring the most good over harm, to deter or prevent crimes from occurring in the first place and to prevent future crimes from being committed. Utilitarianism would even consider punishing the innocent or pass a more severe sentence for a lesser crime if it could be determined that benefits to society outweighed the consequences of such punishment (Howard). For example, if it were believed that better crime deterrence or prevention could be achieved, a consequentialist would consider executing a murderer versus handing down a life sentence. Retributivism is a punishment theory that looks back at the specific nature of a crime and determines how much the victim suffered, in order to morally justify the severity of punishment. The moral emphasis is on righting a wrong and seeking justice by ensuring that criminals get what the...
With the field of philosophy, the concept of "desert" suggests the status of deserving a particular response based upon prior action. The term is often invoked within conversations dealing with blame and justice. However, philosophers disagree on whether desert justifies responsive behaviors such as punishment or revenge. This debate is particularly significantly within the context of a legal system that purports to punish criminals in a manner that is consistent with their crimes.
The use of the death penalty shows us that revenge is honored in our society. The cost of incarcerating an offender for their lifetime is much less than the cost of executing that same offender. In spite of the lower cost to imprison, we continue to execute offenders. To me, this mindset shows a system that considers the death of another to be a victory.
Greg Mantle, F. D., & Dhami, M. K. (2005). Restorative justice and three individual theories of crime. Internet Journal of Criminology IJC , 1-36. Retrieved from http://www.restorativejustice.org/articlesdb/articles/5914
Agreeing on a definition of restorative justice has proved difficult. One definition is a theory of justice that focuses mostly on repairing the harm caused by criminal behaviour. The reparation is done through a cooperative process that includes all the stakeholders. Restorative justice can also be explained as an approach of justice that aims to satisfy the needs of the victims and offenders, as well as the entire community. The most broadly accepted definition for restorative justice, however, is a process whereby all the parties that have a stake in a specific offence collectively resolve on how to deal with the aftermath. This process is largely focused around reparation, reintegration and participation of victims. That is to say, it is a victim-centred approach to criminal justice, and it perceives crime differently than the adversarial system of justice.
Herbert Morris and Jean Hampton both view punishment as important to a healthy society. However, their views on what kind of role does punishment plays in a healthy society are vastly different. Morris believes that when one commits a crime they “owe a debt to the society and the person they wronged” and, therefore the punishment of that person is retributive, and a right for those who committed this wrong (270). Hampton, on the other hand, believes that punishment is a good for those who have strayed in the path of being morally right. Out of the two views presented, I believe that Hampton view is more plausible, and rightly places punishment as a constructive good that is better suited for society than Morris’s view.
There are four different types of Justice Systems, Distributive and Retributive are the two systems that are very different yet alike. Both of these systems serve different purposes whether they have a positive or negative effect. Distributive is all about equality hoping to balance everything without causing problems. Retributive is about punishing those who have disobeyed in exchange for a positive outcome. Equality and punishment are main principles in the system but how diverse they are and the results they provide are what is intriguing.
Regarding the justification of punishment philosophers are not of the same opinion. According to the utilitarian moral thinkers punishment can be justified solely by its consequences. That is to say, according to the utilitarian account of punishment 'A ought to be punished' means that A has done an act harmful to people and it needs to be prevented by punishment or the threat of it. So, it will be useful to punish A. Deontologists like Mabbott, Ewing and Hawkins, on the other hand, believe that punishment is justifiable purely on retributive grounds. That is to say, according to them, only the past fact that a man has committed a crime is sufficient enough to justify the punishment inflicted on him. But D.D. Raphael is found to reconcile between the two opposite views. According to him, a punishment is justified when it is both useful and deserved.
Lex Talionis is a principle that states a punishment should equal the crime. Therefore, for murder, the punishment would be death or what is commonly referred to as capital punishment. This principle is commonly used around the world and had precedent in ancient times. It appears to be a fair way of dealing with punishment because everyone is treated based on how they treat others. However, what is equal punishment and does it really exist?
More specifically following rules over the old idea of “the ends justifies the means” that is utilitarianism. Kant, in the case of capital punishment, believed that eye for an eye was the best form of punishment for criminals. When an innocent life is taken the murderer gives up their right to life and becomes deserving of death. To deprive murderers of their life was the most just action, so they can no longer cause harm to anyone else. Especially in the case that they were to be released from prison, having that humanity stripped away from them when they first murdered. Making them prone to have repeated offenses. Another justification from retributivism is that the value of a human life and it's being stolen away is exceedingly uncomparable to any punishment that can be received in life [This is the case] “simply because we have to be alive if we are to realize and experience any other values at all, there is nothing equivalent to the murderous destruction of a human life except the destruction of the life of the murderer.” (Primoratz 387) Without the destruction of the murderer’s life they are still able to retain some value in life no matter how bad the conditions of their new found prison life may
Boluwatife Rasheed Abudu “Critically assess the view that unless punishment is a response to moral fault, it is unjustified.” ABSTRACT There are two major schools of thought that agree that punishment can be justified. The utilitarians believe punishment can be justified exclusively by its consequences and its long-term usefulness to the society, while the deontologists are of the view that the justification for punishment is based upon retributive grounds. There is an unpopular third school which attempts to reconcile both grounds.
Retribution is a justification for punishment and not a theory about substantive criminal law. But what justifies also limits. Retribution offers solid moral bases for opposing overcriminalization. Retribution is the type of punishment that indicating the vengeance or revenge. It is the idea of an ‘eye for an eye’ or ‘tooth for a tooth’ basis. The punishments given are for the response to the offender to the crime that he had done. For example, the death penalty to the crime of murder. It is a form of ‘striking back’ . Basically, there are two rationales in this theory of punishment are first, for the victims or their relatives in the case of death, that the state represent for their dissatisfaction towards the offender. Besides, this also protect from they having private retaliation to the offender. Second, is for the public at large that the public has a need for revenge. Punishment is considered an expression of justified anger by the victim due to the violation of trust demanded by society .
Johan Finnish rightly said that the delinquent behavior of a person needs to be thought not with melody but with iron rod . All the people should act in social interest and in accordance with social acceptance. All wrongful act of any individual need to be punished. There are different theories of punishment but what distinguishes all these theories is their focus and goal. On the basis of this we can divide theories of punishment into three type:
Punishment has been in existence since the early colonial period and has continued throughout history as a method used to deter criminals from committing criminal acts. Philosophers believe that punishment is a necessity in today’s modern society as it is a worldwide response to crime and violence. Friedrich Nietzche’s book “Punishment and Rehabilitation” reiterates that “punishment makes us into who we are; it creates in us a sense of responsibility and the ability to take and release our social obligations” (Blue, Naden, 2001). Immanuel Kant believes that if an individual commits a crime then punishment should be inflicted upon that individual for the crime committed. Cesare Beccaria, also believes that if there is a breach of the law by individuals then that individual should be punished accordingly.