Essay On Public Shaming

1310 Words3 Pages

Public shaming is a form of punishment that dates back hundreds of years ago. Although, as of recently, public shaming is being used by judges as an alternative method of punishment, rather than the typical jail time. Multiple police captains and judges from all around the country are using social media as one form of shaming, and actual public embarrassment as another. Public shaming forces the offender to think about their crime while everyone else looks upon them, rather than sitting in a cell alone. Along with that, it can be used as a deterrent to the general public as well. By placing the offender in a public situation, it allows others to see what could happen to them if they were to commit a similar offense. Public shaming teaches offenders …show more content…

Not necessarily compassion as a person would be used to, but compassion in the sense that the judge is not automatically sending the offender to jail. To most people, this would be considered a favor rather than punishment. When the judge leaves the option up to the offender if they would rather be sentenced to a brief stint in jail or publically shamed, the answer should be a no brainer. Although humility does have the potential to affect a person’s life for years to come, the affects of jail would be much harsher. Embarrassment can be defined by Merriam-Webster as, a state of feeling foolish in front of others (Embarrassment.) A feeling, even that of foolishness, will pass in as a person’s life progresses. The feeling will become dull and less harsh, therefore easier to deal with and accept as a consequence that was learned from, rather than a consequence that ruined a person’s life. The residual effects going to jail run deeper than just feelings and can affect the day-to-day experiences of a person for years to come. With that being said, the entire purpose of punishment is to teach the offender a lesson. That lesson can be understood in many ways, and when public shaming is available, it is a useful …show more content…

The stigma that our country places on ex-convicts is extremely negative. When applying for jobs, the application bluntly asks if the applicant has ever been to jail. Employers are far less likely to hire a person that has served time behind bars, even for a short stint, than they would be to hire a person who has been publically embarrassed. Incarceration is an extremely serious punishment and at times does not fit the crime. Before, a judge had very little means of punishment other than fining and jailing of criminals. Today the judge can still do the same, but he or she can also place the person on probation or publically shame them into never committing a crime again. Prison time can change a person entirely, and not always for the better. That is a fairly large risk and judge has to be willing to take before he places a criminal in

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