Discussion Thread: Deterrence: Scaring Offenders Straight
Discussion Thread: Deterrence: Scaring Offenders Straight:
In this Discussion, you will apply the Learn material in a meaningful way to clarify your understanding of the correctional system. Outline the pros and cons of having a pure deterrence theory correctional policy implemented in the United States. How could the theory be improved upon to make it more effective at reducing and preventing crime?
The student will complete 5 Discussions in this course. The student will post one thread of at least 1000 words. For each thread, students must support their assertions with at least 2 scholarly citations in current APA format. The student must then post 2 replies of at least 500 words each.
Each reply must incorporate at least 2 scholarly citations in current APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include the assigned articles found in the course, readings from the course textbook, and the Bible.
MANDATORY REFERENCES:
Read: Cullen & Jonson: Chapter 3
Read: Public Tolerance for Community-Based Sanctions
https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?lname=&public=false&collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/prsjrnl77&men_hide=false&men_tab=toc&kind=&page=6
Watch: Just Deserts: Doing Justice or Getting Tough?
“Just deserts” is a criminal justice philosophy asserting that punishment should be proportional to the seriousness of the crime, representing a “tough on crime” approach that focuses on retribution rather than rehabilitation. It seeks to ensure offenders receive the punishment they deserve, often resulting in determinate sentencing and reduced judicial discretion to ensure consistency.
Key Aspects of the Just Deserts Model
• Proportionality: The core idea is that the punishment must fit the crime, ensuring the severity of the sentence matches the offense committed.
• Retribution (Not Revenge): It is a retributist approach holding that punishment is just because it is deserved, not necessarily for utilitarian reasons like rehabilitation or deterrents.
• Determinate Sentencing: This model often favors fixed sentences, reducing the discretion of parole boards and judges to ensure uniformity.
• Accountability: It treats offenders as rational agents who deserve punishment when they break the law.
• Origins: The theory gained significant influence in the 1970s with the publication of Doing Justice by Andrew von Hirsch, moving away from rehabilitation models.
Doing Justice vs. Getting Tough
• “Doing Justice”: Proponents argue this approach is fair because it treats similar crimes similarly, creating a transparent, standardized system.
• “Getting Tough”: Critics argue that in practice, just deserts has been used to justify harsher penalties, mandatory minimums, and reduced focus on offender rehabilitation, leading to increased prison populations.
The “just deserts” model is often seen as a compromise, aiming for a fair, predictable system of punishment that still satisfies public demand for firm accountability, sometimes with the risk of creating overly rigid, harsh
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