...Punishment Research Paper Craig Hart March 25, 2012 SOC/120 When it comes to American society there are four types of punishment. These types of punishment are retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation and societal protection. Punishment in its concept is favorably perceived as a retributive practice. Our society uses these four forms of punishment attempting to lower crime rates in our society. Some of these types of punishments could be considered harder than others however each one has its own distinction. Retribution according to the dictionary is the act of punishing or taking vengeance for wrongdoing, sin, or injury. I think that the phrase “an eye for an eye” and “a tooth for a tooth” is a very good definition of how retribution depicts peoples need for justice in our American society. When people have gone through an experience of crime or pain, they want some sort of closure or retribution to satisfy their morality. An example of retribution is in our courts system when murders get convicted and sentenced to one life behind bars for every life that was taken. People who believe in retribution believe that there is no rehabilitation or any help to change the criminal just that the criminal must serve the time sentenced. As stated by Gerard V. Bradley (2003) the adoption of retribution as the philosophical basis for punishment therefore provides a powerful, multi-faceted justification for beyond that proffered by the alternatives. Retribution certainly...
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...Punishment Research Paper Mary Barley Axia University of Phoenix SOC 120 June 20, 2011 Walter James Punishment Research Paper When a crime is committed there are thoughts of why it happened, but there are also thoughts of justice. How will this person pay for this crime? These questions are asked everyday as crimes are being committed. And as these crimes are committed the offenders are going to be labeled to fall in one of the four types of justifications of punishment, which are retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and societal protection. Questions have been asked as to what type of punishment deters crime in American society. These questions have been asked and debated over time and answers may be inconclusive. The most important question is does punishment discourage crime at all? Retribution is the oldest justification for punishment to satisfy a society’s need for revenge. Retribution is an act of moral vengeance by which society makes the offender suffer as much as the suffering caused by the crime committed (Macionis, 2006). For example, if someone was severely beaten, retribution for the crime may be to severely beat the criminal. The Mafia families would only feel satisfied when they got revenge themselves. The leader of the organized crime family would choose a subordinate to go out and get revenge for the family. Who should be held accountable for the crime the subordinate or the leader? According to Eldar, 2010, the sentence of an organized...
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...Does the punishment fit the crime? Will the punishment deter the crime? Thesequestions are asked every day when someone goes before the court for crimes they havecommitted. The justified punishments include retribution, rehabilitation, deterrence, and social protection. Although most cases are bargained down from the maximum sentence for the crime,there is still justified punishment in one way or another.Retribution has been around since the beginning of time. It says that the punishmentshould be equal to the severity of the crime. The offender is supposed to suffer as much as thecrime has caused the suffering. It is thought that that the victim is owed something by theoffender to make up for their crime. In today¶s society, a person is punished for their crimethrough serving time in jail, not necessarily paying the victim back. In the Buffalo Criminal LawReview, the author questions the idea of imprisonment as a form of retribution by questioninghow we ³determine the length of time he should be incarcerated by invoking the idea of retribution´ (Rubin, 2004). The idea behind the current system uses different lengths of jail sentences based upon the severity of the crime to punish the criminal. While this can be may be effective form of punishment, but it does not follow the idea of retribution. However, there is one scenario where retribution is used for the victim. In civil lawsuits,the perpetrator must pay the victim back in a monetary form to try to make up for whatever...
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...people from committing those crimes. “Criminal Punishments are measures, usually designed to be unpleasant, which are imposed by governmental authorities on persons who have been convicted of violating provisions of applicable criminal laws.” (Criminal Punishments) Each crime has a different level of response that is needed for instance you are not going to give someone the death penalty for running a stop sign and you are not going to give an Ax murder a warning and send them on their way. Ensuring that the proper deterrent is applied for each crime is an important factor to insuring that a person will not commit the crime again. The theory of deterrence comes from the idea that the punishment must be as severe as the crime committed. Additionally, the punishment has to be given to the criminal so that the punishment is viewed as a result of the crime. When the act of punishment stops one from committing crimes, this is called "general deterrence." There is another form of deterrence, which is "specific deterrence," referring to the inability of criminals to commit additional crimes after punishment has been served. It is completely obvious and clear that capital punishment is classified as a specific deterrent, because the criminal will be dead; therefore, crimes will no longer be committed. Nonetheless, capital punishment is a controversial topic discussed by all people, who cannot come to an agreement whether capital punishment is more effective than spending one’s life in...
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...amend to the constitution is featured in the bill of rights and ensures all American citizens are protected from excessive bail, fines, and cruel or unusual punishment. The bill was ratified in 1791 and is plainly stated,“Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”However, the Wording of this document Allows for its rules to be interpreted in enforcement. The amendment does not have a definite meaning of cruel and unusual punishment it is easy to go around these rules. I believe we should establish a clear definition of cruel or unusual punishment. Why should we do this what are the real consequences of leaving it as it is? Civilized society? Although we do not and poor medieval torture...
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...Men and women are sent to Federal, State, or Local jails depending on what crime was committed. Incarceration is when the judicial system confine a person's convicted of crimes. This confinement is whether before or after a criminal conviction. Prisons did not exist in the United States until the constitution was written in 1789. Before 1789 punishment was cruel such as public pillory which was a device to secure the head and hands, banishment from a community, disfigurement by stretching of the body, slicing off body parts and automatic death. After the constitution was written punishment changed in many different states. The death penalty exists in some states but before a person dies they are able to have a lawyer and speak for themselves. I believe people would rather have a convicted person serve time than get the death...
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...Have you ever heard of the punishment of banishment or jail? Some people argue about which is better as a punishment. In this paper, information about why jail is a good punishment will be given. Jail is better than island banishment because jail can help in many ways and if island banishment is given to someone, they could get assaulted, like Cole Mathews from “Touching Spirit Bear”. Cole Mathews got mauled by a bear. Jail is very beneficial in many ways. First of all, when a criminal is caught for murder, robbery, or other reasons, if the criminal is not put into jail or custody, the chance of the criminal repeating the same crime is increased. (Mayglothling). Next, if you go to prison you can work out and get fit. Therefore, if you are...
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...Penalty My “Big Idea” topic is on the death penalty. My thesis statement is: Capital punishment is controversial and people have many different feelings about it but I believe that the death penalty is beneficial to society and the public and that the United States should continue to use capital punishment. When doing research for an essay paper it is important to use reputable sources and avoid unreliable or opinionated web sites or articles, such as Wikipedia and Answers.com. Areas or items I will use to do research for my death penalty paper will be the U.S. Department of Justice, Amnesty International, CNN news reports and articles, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Pro-death Penalty web site. The Kaplan library has a Homeland Security Digital Library database which might contain some information that I can use and the Newspaper Source database is bound to have some pertinent information. The Kaplan library also has an abundance of articles and reports as well as a database with news and current topics I can explore for information. To get an idea of some material readily available in the Kaplan library database I did a keyword search on “pro death penalty” articles and three periodicals came up that I am going to review and they are: Top Ten Death Penalty Myths: The Politics of Crime Control; Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment; and Capital Punishment: A Century of Discontinuous Debate. I am confident that I will be able to obtain...
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...Sally Sunshine Research Proposal Section 1 – Summary of the Argument In my research paper, I will argue the case for the abolition of capital punishment. Outside of the United States, there are only three industrialized democracies that still use the death penalty as part of their justice system (Japan, Singapore, and South Korea). The global movement toward peace can never be led by a country that continues to sanction killing. First, I intend to give an overview of capital punishment, including its history, Supreme Court decisions, and the general controversy. Next, I will present my case by establishing the most relevant points in my argument, including statistics that contradict capital punishment as a crime deterrent, evidence that shows the inconsistency in how defendants are sentenced to death row, and finally evidence of mistaken executions. For my counterargument section, I will acknowledge those who support the death penalty by highlighting their cogent points. The primary counterargument in favor of the death penalty rests on giving the families of victims a sense of closure and justice. This counterargument will be refuted using evidence gathered primarily through national studies and statistics. Finally, I will conclude by summarizing key points in the argument, by offering possible alternatives to the death penalty, and be reasserting the case to federally abolish capital punishment once and for all.Sunshine 2 I do need help with a few questions...
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...commit such heinous acts. However, does knowing the possible consequences of capital offenses deter individuals from committing the crimes? Did it make you stop and think? In the United States the death penalty is used as a punishment for capital offenses. These specifically can vary from state to state, but commonly include first-degree murder, murder with special circumstances, rape with additional bodily harm, and the federal crime of treason. (Facts) The goal of the death penalty then, is to deter these crimes from even taking place, to be so feared that offenders think twice about committing such horrible crimes. But does it? In the following paper, the above question will attempt to be answered by looking at the background of capital punishment and the death penalty, the ideas behind it, viable alternatives, and finally, the effectiveness of the death penalty at deterring crime. Early death penalty laws date back to the Eighteenth Century B.C.. The death penalty also had a heavy presence in the Fourteenth Century Hittite Code, the Seventh Century Draconian Code of Athens, and the Fifth Century Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets. (History, 1) Today, thirty-four states in the United States of America still practice the death penalty as a means of punishment for capital offenses and heinous crimes. The death penalty debate is one that Americans are no strangers to; it has been abolished and repealed numerous times throughout our history. Two of the first...
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...Current Event – Role of Special Interest Groups Paper AJS 552 Week 4 The Death Penalty - Public Safety vs. Individual Rights Introduction This paper will focus on the criminal justice system, public safety and civil rights in specific relation to the death penalty as a form of punishment and its effects on society. The execution of criminals and the effects on society are most intriguing and can be debated upon both for and against the issue give a thorough elaboration on criminal executions and the effects on society. In this day and age, research not only illustrates that the death penalty is complex, in more ways than one, but has also raised questions about its relations to deterring crime and the financial impact it has on society. Using current and historical information, such as articles and scholarly articles, to support why this research is important and possible methods society could use to help improve this controversial debate. Summary The Orange County register printed an article on the death penalty and possibly being considered as immoral. “While the commission drops the dime on the mind-numbing cost of administering the death penalty, it barely hints at the moral and ethical depravity of the practice” (Mears, 2008). The article states that there are racial and socioeconomic bias towards the death penalty and how this can and may lead to a cause for concern among citizens. This seems to initiate that in most cases the targets of race are African...
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...Introduction Capital punishment in the United States is largely viewed as retaliation and compensation against society's most malicious criminals. The federal government rarely imposes capital punishment for crimes. The majority of capital sanctions are imposed on the state level for murder. Currently, thirty-two states have death penalty statutes. Of those thirty-two, only seven states carried out executions in 2014 (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2015). Those executions total 35 (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2015). As a result of the low number of executions carried out, experts in the United States have examined the efficiency of the death penalty. To accurately assess the economic costs of the death penalty, the difference between the costs...
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...of Corporal Punishment The Transmission of Corporal Punishment: Is it Passed on to Our Children? Tamika R. James Park University Corporal Punishment on children is “frowned upon” in the country of the United States of America. It is considered to be egregious to many that live in this country and all around the world. The act of corporal punishment on children has been outlawed and laws have been changed with the evolution of parenting. Even with the laws that protect children from corporal punishment in place, a vast majority of the country still practices it at home. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether or not the act of corporal punishment is passed on to future generations. In other words, if a child is brought up getting “spankings”, are they more or less likely to practice the act on children of their own. Several stipulations come to mind when people speak of corporal punishment. In this country it appears that a certain amount of corporal punishment is acceptable. The question is, where do we draw the line? Many would consider punishing a child by spanking them with a belt appropriate. There are other things to consider, such as: How hard are they spanking them? How often are they spanking them? Appropriate parenting seems to be up to interpretation. Whatever ones thoughts on the subject is, most will agree that corporal punishment should be the last resort. Why then is it so vastly practiced among parents? The thought of this paper revolves around...
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...The lobby group role paper University of phoenix The lobby group role paper The key point of this paper will discuss the criminal justice system, civil rights. In the public safety particular relation with the capital punishment, as a way to punish also it affects the public when criminal put to death. The impact on the public is most impressive it could debate upon this so many times. Also against the matter, give a thorough explanation putting to death, criminal also the impact on the public. At this current time, research does not only show that the sentence to the death penalty is intricate in many ways. However, capital punishment has started to make people ask many questions it connection with preventing criminal act's effect. That it has on the public economically by having information that recent and from the past, also using articles of scholarly and other articles on the topic as well. To help support, the reason this research is essential and he would aid society to use different tactics. To help benefit both side issues, within the debate, they have on this matter. The costly and ethical standpoint of the death penalty The Kentucky lawmaker stated that it was too expensive to use the methods of using the sentence to death as a form of punishment. Also, how it might seem as morally wrong, to do, although the commission tells the truth about the expensive cost of administering the sentence to death penalty. It hardly...
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...death penalty is the most severe punishment that may be imposed on an individual by the United States government. It denies a person one of their most basic human rights, which is the right to live. One of the purposes of the death penalty is to serve as a deterrent for other would-be criminals. There have been studies conducted to determine if the death penalty is effective in this regard. There is another point of disparity surrounding the death penalty related to the equality of its application. Are all citizens treated equal? This paper takes a closer look at the equality in the application of the death penalty and its effectiveness as a deterrent. Is the Death Penalty a Fair and Effective Deterrent in the United States? The death penalty came to the United States with the first European settlers and continued until the 1960’s. “The 1960s brought challenges to the fundamental legality of the death penalty. Before then, the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments were interpreted as permitting the death penalty. However, in the early 1960s, it was suggested that the death penalty was a "cruel and unusual" punishment, and therefore unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment.” (Bohm, 1999) Since the 1960’s courts have been battling the issue of the death penalty. Currently there are 38 states that have provisions for the death penalty. What is the purpose of the death penalty? The death penalty is the ultimate punishment for a crime. It ensures that the...
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