Assess How Forms of punishment Meet the Aims of Punishment

Role of Different Forms of Punishment

Retributive punishment: Focuses on the severity of the crime rather than the individual offender. Aim is to ensure justice by making the offender suffer in a way equivalent to the harm they caused.
Deterrent punishment: Aim is to discourage the offender and general public from committing crimes. The fear of punishment is supposed to deter people from illegal activities.

Assessing Efficiency of Different Forms of Punishment

Retribution

Provides a sense of justice to the victims and society by punishing the offender.
However, some argue this form of punishment lacks focus on rehabilitation and may not result in lower crime rates.

Deterrence

Can caution both the individual from re-offending (specific deterrence) and the public from engaging in illegal activities (general deterrence).
However, its effectiveness is debatable as many who are punished for crimes re-offend.

Rehabilitation

Focus is on changing the offender’s behaviour and reintegrating them into society.
Critics argue it’s difficult to measure the success of such programmes. Some studies suggest impact is limited.

Incapacitation

By imprisoning or closely monitoring offenders, society is protected from their potential future crimes.
However, it assumes that offenders will continue to commit crimes, which isn’t always the case.

Restorative Justice

Encourages offenders to understand the impact of their actions and make amends.
Victims needs are in focus and resolution is sought by agreement rather than punishment alone.
Some view it as soft, and feel it may not address the severity of some crimes.

It’s crucial to remember that the effectiveness of these forms of punishment in meeting the aims of punishment largely depends on several factors such as the nature of the crime, the individual offender, and societal attitudes towards crime and punishment. The effectiveness varies broadly, and no one form of punishment has been identified as universally successful.