Hello Community,
When it comes to crime, one idea that invariably crops up is that harsher punishments would deter criminals from committing crime.
In a superficial sense, this makes sense.
After all, most people are aware of the repercussions of serious crime. They understand that they may be sent to prison if they rob. They understand that fraud can ruin lives and the individuals can be sent to jail for a long time. In other countries, some crimes can even merit the death penalty.
However, crimes still occur on a daily basis.
Why?
Does this imply punishments don't work?
I feel like punishments work, but not too much.
Well, it's not as easy as counting the costs and the benefits of human behavior. If the consequences were sufficient to deter crime, then there would be no theft, frauds, drug trafficking, or violence because the risks are all too familiar.
But people still do.
One of the reasons is that many crimes are made in a second when no one is thinking about any punishment at all.
An angry person can assault someone without accounting for the years that they may serve in prison. A person that is drowning in debt can be more concerned about getting through the day than the legal repercussions of their behavior same as When a young person is affected by peers they might make rash choices because acceptance is more significant than risk.
In such cases, the punishments are in force, but are not being decided at the present time.
A second is the idea that, “I won't get caught.”
Not all criminals are criminals because they are looking for punishment.Not all criminals are criminals because they're looking for punishment. They make the mistakes believing that they are smarter than the system, luckier than those who came before them, or that they can beat the system.
This attitude is everywhere: in everyday thievery, from the big time cheats.
The problem is that the punishment isn't severe enough.
The problem is people do not think punishment is coming to them.
However, I feel punishment is still needed.
If there were no consequences in a society, it would quickly become chaotic. Laws are in place to safeguard people and penalties are in place to warn people that bad behaviour has bad consequences. They also serve as a source of justice for the victim and a way of keeping social order.
But punishment is not sufficient.
However, in the quest for reduced crime, it is important to consider the conditions that bolster crime.
Poverty.
Lack of education.
Unemployment.
Drug addiction.
Broken homes.
Lack of mental health care.
These can be no justification for criminal acts, but they can lead to conditions that make crime more likely.
Instead of being more effective at sending people to jail, addressing those root causes could be more effective at preventing more crimes.
I believe that rehabilitation needs to be given more attention, too.
Not all criminals are irretrievably lost some of them are truly feel remorse for their actions, and with the appropriate help, they can become useful members of society. If prisons provide only punishment without any opportunity for reform, then the mindset that got many people in the prison system may be the same one that will get them out.
For me the best justice system is one that is based on accountability and rehabilitation.
Individuals should be held accountable for their behavior, Victims deserve justice, Society deserves protection.
However, if all we can do is punish, then we risk getting the symptoms and not the disease.
Therefore, is punishment effective?
Yes, they do.
They discourage some, set limits and maintain righteousness.
However, they're not 'magic bullets.
Crime is a human issue – and fear is not a solution to human problems.
Safer societies cannot be achieved through tougher punishments.
What we need are stronger communities, better opportunities and systems that will enable people to make better choices, before they even get to the point of committing a crime.
