SOC 302 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Retributive Justice, Personal Boundaries, Anger Management
Document Summary
What is purpose of punishment: incapacitation- physically preventing offenders from committing crimes outside of the prison; by looking them up. Ex: prison, death penalty, a web if you are siderman: retribution- getting even; getting revenge; eye for eye. Logic is that the offender should suffer the pain that s/he inflicted on others. Retributive justice must be proportionate to the crime committed. Assumes people who commit crimes conduct a rational cost- benefit analysis before acting. Two forms of deterrence: general deterrence- examples are made of deviants; public humiliation often. Offenders righting their wrongs; restoring justice by compensating/fixing the injustice resulting from their offense. Requirement that the offender must first accept guilt. Ex: vandals having to clean up their graffiti; suicide squad. Involves victim in justice process: norm reinforcement- setting boundaries. If wrongdoing goes unpunished, citizens will become demoralized and not respect laws, thus ultimately threatening the moral fabric of society. Ritual for the benefit of society (randall collins)
