Sociology / Unit 5 Soc 0686 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Purposes of Punishment
Captions available
The idea
Punishment is justified in four ways: retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation — aims that frequently conflict with one another.
In practice
A sentence long enough to incapacitate can undercut the rehabilitation it also claims to pursue.
Where people slip
A system pursuing all four at once will satisfy none of them completely.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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