Capital punishment
Now that you’ve reviewed the resources about the court system, you are familiar with the four purposes of punishment: deterrence, incapacitation, retribution, and rehabilitation. In this 350- to 500-word journal entry, address the following:
Prioritize these four purposes of punishment.
In your personal opinion, which of the four purposes do you think is the most important? The least? Rank them.
Explain where capital punishment fits into your prioritization.
How does capital punishment fit into each purpose? For example, how does capital punishment fit into the purpose of deterrence? Explain.
Explain your opinion on capital punishment using the four purposes as a foundation.
How does each purpose you have prioritized align to your personal opinion on capital punishment?
Do the purposes align perfectly, or are there misalignment? For example, if you indicated incapacitation as your highest priority, how does capital punishment align to this purpose?
In either case (alignment or misalignment), why do you think this is?
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Prioritize the four purposes of punishment.
Explain where capital punishment fits into this prioritization.
Explain your personal opinion of capital punishment and its alignment to your prioritization of the purposes.
Include scholarly references to support your opinions and conclusions.
Prioritizing Purposes of Punishment and the Role of Capital Punishment
Prioritizing the Purposes of Punishment
I prioritize the following purposes of punishment in this order:
- Rehabilitation: The goal of rehabilitation is to reform offenders and reintegrate them into society. This is crucial for reducing recidivism and creating a safer community.
- Incapacitation: This involves removing dangerous offenders from society to protect the public.
- Deterrence: Deterrence aims to discourage future crime by instilling fear of punishment.
- Retribution: This focuses on punishing offenders for their crimes and ensuring that justice is served.