Prisons have four major purposes:retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation. Retribution is the punishment for the crime. Depriving criminals of their freedom is a way of retribution. Incapacitation removes criminals from society to prevent the harm of society. Deterrence is the prevention of more crime. The thought of going to prison, and dealing with the uncomfortable aspects of prison life can possibly deter one from committing a crime. If not, experiencing a life in prison may prevent them from desiring to commit any future crimes. Rehabilitation refers to various methods of trying to help criminals become law-abiding citizens. Rehabilitation usually refers to counselling and educational courses. However, not all of these
