1. Chapter 1 – Introduction: The Goals of Punishment

2. Introduction
Correctional practices in the United States have evolved considerably over time
Criminal offenders have always expected to lose many of their rights – how much should they lose is the question
Prison administrators use to have near complete discretion in dealing with inmates
Convicts have often been treated like slaves
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3. The Goals of Punishment
People willingly submit to the criminal justice system so that they will be protected from wrongdoers
The goals of punishment for a society often reflect the values of that society
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4. Table 1.1 Goals of Punishment According to Utilitarianism within Society
None-Utilitarian Goals
Reconciliation (Restorative justice)
Purification
Atonement
Semi-Utilitarian Goals
Deterrence (specific & general)
Reparation
Treatment & Rehabilitation
Prevention
Incapacitation
Banishment
Highly-Utilitarian Goals
Retribution/
Retaliation
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5. Reconciliation
In highly cohesive societies, crimes harm the social balance of society
Necessary for offenders to repair the damage caused by their actions
Offender should be forgiven so s/he can reintegrate into the community
Braithwaite’s reintegrative shaming is a common example of this concept
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6. Atonement Derives from religious ideology
Criminals have engaged in sinful behavior for which they must pray for forgiveness
Eastern State penitentiary (and the Pennsylvania Model of Incarceration) was founded on the notion that inmates needed to show contrition
Inmates were held in solitary confinement and needed to remain silence to focus on bettering themselves
Isolation often caused or aggravated mental illness within offenders
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7. Deterrence
First described by Cesare Beccaria, the founder of classical criminology
Laws and punishment should discourage future criminal behavior
Punishment should have celerity, certainty, and appropriate severity
Specific deterrence – focus on preventing a criminal offender from committing future crime
General deterrence – punishment of one individual should deter others in the general society from committing crime
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8. Reparation Paying off the damage caused by a crime
3 forms: emotional, direct, and creative
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9. Treatment and Rehabilitation
Using a medical approach to dealing with offenders
Assumes that criminal offenders suffer from a variety of ills, until those ills are treated (or fixed), that person will continue to offend
Seeks to “cure” criminals of criminality
A variety of approaches are used (e.g. psychological counseling, substance abuse treatment)
Can be controversial, some people believe that treatment and rehabilitation of offenders is ineffective
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10. Prevention, Incapacitation, and Banishment
Many people believe that treatment and rehabilitation do not work (James Q. Wilson was a frequent critic of these efforts)
Supporters of such a belief argue that harsh punishments are needed to prevent crime
Incapacitation – restraining an offender from harming general society (accomplished through the death penalty or more often, incarceration)
Banishment – Forcibly removing or ordering a person to leave a place
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11. The full 15-chapter, 242-slide presentation is available upon adoption the book. If you are a professor using this book for a class, please contact for the full set of slides.
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