Panu Minkkinen, Professor of Legal Theory, University of Leicester:
Penology is the study of the criminal sanction, and in countries that have abolished capital punishment, it usually centres on imprisonment as the most harsh punishment that can follow if a crime is committed. The discussion is usually about justification: How can we justify imprisonment that, after all, intervenes in a violent way in the life of an individual? So imprisonment must have a justifiable purpose. It must be able to deliver benefits to a society that go beyond the mere ‘sense of justice’ that is demanded by the victim or the outraged community. Hence the political rhetoric that ‘prison works’.
What is the deterrent effect of imprisonment? Does it truly rehabilitate offenders, and does the fear of punishment prevent others from committing crimes? Research suggests that all claims concerning the social benefits of imprisonment are exaggerated.
To read full article, click here: http://leicesterexchanges.com/2011/03/03/the-punitive-community/
No comments:
Post a Comment