Punishment In Corrections

Nearly 3,800 years ago the Code of Hammurabi was created as a guide for punishment for criminal offenders that caused harm to victims, by placing emphasis on revenge for the wronged victims. Punishment was given for the purpose of revenge and a lessened chance of retaliation from the victim to the offender, which contrasts with how punishment is given now. While punishment is still given to criminal offenders that bestow harm to victims, punishment today also includes reformation of criminal behaviors in correctional systems. The main purpose of today’s correctional systems is to reform criminal behaviors through a “process whereby practitioners from a variety of agencies and programs use tools, techniques, and facilities to engage in organized …show more content…
Retribution may seem similar to revenge; however, retribution serves as a suitable punishment that is equivalent to damage that was caused to wronged victims. Furthermore, one other purposes of retribution “is not to make the wicked "suffer," but to restore social balance” (Bradley, 2003, p. 30). Once the offender has paid their dues for the crime that they committed, the offender is free from further punishment. The second concept that is part of the foundation of corrections includes incapacitation. Incapacitation involves placing offenders into incarceration in order to prevent further harm to society. Also, deterrence is utilized as a threat of punishment in order to prevent crime. There are two types of deterrence: general and specific. General deterrence is aimed at the prevention of crime in the general population. An example of general deterrence is the death penalty and the use of corporal punishment. Specific deterrence is intended to discourage a specific offender from committing crime in the future. The idea is to punish the offender harshly to dissuade the offender from …show more content…
The collaboration between all criminal justice partners, and “all organizations involved are on the same page in regards to the reformation plans for offenders” is another aspect that is significant if the rehabilitation of offenders (Christensen, 2008, p.5). In addition, rehabilitation is not possible for all offenders to prevent recidivism for offenders. However, properly classifying offenders can help with the rehabilitation of offenders. Not all offenders are the same and each is individual, so what works for one offender may not work for another offender. For example, an offender that does not have a drug problem would probably not benefit from substance abuse programs for their anger management issue. Providing the proper treatment for offenders is essential in the prevention of future crimes. Harsh penalties and lengthy sentences are not effective in the rehabilitation of some offenders; by supplying offenders with treatment for mental health issues, trauma, and substance abuse problems is way more successful at averting future criminal behavior. While not all offenders can be rehabilitated, there are many offenders who can be if they have access to the resources that can help aid them in