Sentencing Goals of Corrections

SENTENCING GOALS OF CORRECTIONS

The five general sentencing goals of corrections are punishment , retribution, test of proportionality, specific deterrence, general deterrence. Punishment is the correctional goal emphasizing the infliction of pain or suffering. As a society, we believe that punishment for inappropriate behavior is not only allowable , but also advisable. Punishment is used to teach children from right and wrong. Criminal offenders are brought to justice by the state, acting for society. Through punishment , society can maintain order and show fairness to those who do not violate the law.pg.28

Punishment for criminal acts is sometimes referred to as retribution, which implies the infliction of punishment on those who deserve to be punished. The idea of punishment and retribution is primarily focused on the past, in that is in exchange for the commission of a criminal violation. It is difficult for a democratic society to determine how much punishment is necessary for the commission of a crime. Test of proportionality was a test used to guide sentencing based on the gravity of the offense and consistency of the severity of punishment, also “a criminal sentence must be proportionate to the crime for which the defendant has been convicted…and be guided by objective criteria, including the gravity of the offense and the harshness of the penalty; the sentences imposed on other criminals in the same jurisdiction; and the sentences imposed for commission of the same crime in other jurisdictions.pg.30

Another sentencing goal is deterrence. You have specific deterrence and general deterrence. Deterrence is a correctional goal focused on future actions (or the avoidance of certain actions) by both individuals and society. The expectation is that, as a result of offenders receiving punishment , both they and others will be deterred or discouraged from committing crimes in the future. Specific deterrence is the effect of punishment on an individual offender that prevents that person from committing future crimes. The idea is hopefully that the punishment the offender received created such an unpleasant situation that he or she will not want to experience it again. General deterrence presumes that others in society will not commit crimes, because they see that there is a punishment for such acts and that individuals do receive the prescribed punishments. For this punishment to be effective, the punishment must be visible and the public must believe that if they commit a crime they will be caught and punished.pg.30

I personally feel deterrence is most effective in some cases. In society today youth and adults feel that they have to belong to some type of group or organization. They want to be accepted by society and in order to be accepted they some time participate in things they just know is wrong. When a crime is committed some learn from that crime and others don’t. But when people are taking away from their family and loved ones they realize in some cases that what they did or participated in was wrong and being locked up allows some to think about their actions. But if we don’t work with our youths while they are young they just might get lost in the system.

CORRECTIONS AN INTRODUCTION/3RD EDITION/pg.28-34
BY: RICHARD P. SEITER