Does Punishment Deter Crime - Essay Example

ed as a justified step to make the criminal realize his act of omission and offense that is committed and also as an attempt to give justice to the person or people against whom it has been committed. The changing paradigms of the emerging new pluralistic society have necessitated the need to study the wider implications of punishment for the various types of crimes that are becoming a regular feature of the American society. The punishments which were supposed to serve as examples for others to refrain from crimes are increasingly becoming ineffectual.

Hence, in the recent times, crime and punishment have become the most controversial issues and crucial public policy questions, especially in America. Punishment for crimes has primarily been implemented for four major reasons: retribution; deterrence; rehabilitation; and social protection. These four factors are significant motivators for effectively combating crimes against the society and serve as vital public policy decisions while disbursing justice. Criminal justice has seen tremendous changes in the level of punishment and politicians, academicians and social scientists have vastly differed in the use or misuse of the official machinery and the justice system that decides and awards the punishment.

The one most vital point that has come through the various public debates is the long term sustainability of the wider objectives of the punishment; whether the punishment has served as effective deterrent? Retribution refers to the concept that the criminal deserves punishment. The adage ‘tit for tat’ or ‘eye for an eye’ becomes the main objective of the punishment. Crime has been committed and therefore the criminal must be paid back in the same manner or something which is as bad as his crime.

In the modern times and in the civilized society, this act of vengeance is neither considered to be morally right or just because it would bring our action at par with that of criminal. Hence, our actions need to