“If you justify punishment, you must justify intentional infliction of suffering” (Watson, Lecture 7). This essay will argue that the non-punitive incarceration of troubled children and youth, intellectually handicapped and mentally ill people is equivalent to punishment. This is valid, as inflecting suffering does not have to be physical. Keeping these individuals in custody longer than they need to be is a form of punishment. Many times these individuals are detained against their will and go through additional negative experiences during their detention although law makers and social agents of society argue that there is absolutely no intent to harm. When making the argument that non-punitive incarceration is equal to punishment it is important
