DB Replies Week 2

The punishment philosophy is that wrongful acts must be corrected to maintain and defend the normal and smooth functioning of society. Most sentences involve punishment to reduce the likelihood of continued criminal behavior. There are some other strategies like education and treatment, The following are the 7 goals of a sentence: revenge, retribution, just deserts, deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, and restoration. Revenge is punishment that gets vengeance. The text book gives example of the punishment Americans would like to give terrorists of 9/11. Retribution is payment to victim and society to atone for a past offense such as an eye for an eye. Just deserts restores moral balance as the offender is blameworthy and deserving of disapproval based on past crime. Deterrence is prevention of a future crime like cutting off a thief's hands to prevent him stealing again. Incapacitation removes an offender from society so they are prevented from committing any further offense. Prison is an example of incapacitation. Rehabilitation is changing the criminal into a law abiding citizen through medical, psychological, or educational treatment. Restoration is incorporating victims and society participation in sentencing for the offender (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2021, p. 31). My preferred method of punishment is rehabilitation. Nonviolent drug offenders would benefit much more from treatment rather than the desocialization of other punishments.  Rehabilitation saves money compared to many other forms of punishment and gives offenders a chance to be contributing members of society. Clearly rehabilitation is not an option for all, but combined with intermediate sanctions it can be effective in reintegrating many offenders into society. Intermediate sanctions like fines and community service can be effective in achieving the rehabilitation philosophy. The principle of rehabilitation is prevalent in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come(English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Corinthians 5:17)!" Although society demands more  in the form of punishment in corrections, rehabilitation should play a large role. Christians knows God can work on our hearts and make us better people who turn from sin, even if our past is not perfect.