Discussion Question -

It will be on the two punishment polices namely rehabilitation and punishment.

Punishment is the infliction of a penalty through deprivation or pain in response to an offense. Since the beginning of recorded history societies have punished offenders while at the same time trying to justify the practice on moral and rational grounds. Human offenses have been punished in various ways throughout history. The standard punishments in ancient Greek and Roman societies were death, Slavery, mutilation, imprisonment, or Banishment. Punishments authorized in modern U.S. law include community service, monetary fines, Forfeiture of property, restitution to victims, confinement in jail or prison, and death.

When an offender commits a crime most of us think that the state is justified to punish him or her. There are five different justifications for punishment and two of them are Incapacitation and Rehabilitation.

Incapacitation is a form of punishment and it focuses on removing the ability of the offenders to commit future crimes. The most common form of incapacitation is imprisonment. Under this justification of punishment when you confine a person in prison you simply incapacitate him to commit crimes against society. In the United States during 1970's faith in rehabilitation declined and this popular preference provided a political momentum for the policies of incapacitation. When Ronald Reagan came to power he believed that the society needed to 'get tough on crime'. As a result of this popular and political atmosphere the number of the prisons dramatically increased.

Incapacitation is not limited to confinement in a prison. Even the death penalty is a form of incapacitation, because execution definitely removes the opportunity for the offender to commit another crime.

Rehabilitation on the other hand is the re-integration of a convicted person into society. The main purpose of rehabilitation is the treatment of the offender through therapy, vocational programs or educational training. So if the rehabilitation is successful the offender will reintegrate in to the society and become a productive member of the community.

During and after 1950's rehabilitation gained widespread popularity in the United States. According to the advocates of this method treatment of the offenders were more humane than the other forms of punishment.

Having said that I would like you to discuss on these two different punishment policies and explain which one would you favor and why? What are the advantages and drawbacks of the two approaches?

Note - Post 2 discussions in 200 words each, then I will send you 4 posts of other students, and you need to reply to 150 words each for all 4 of the discussion. Total Words: 1000.

Textbook - Introduction to Criminology, Fourth Edition by  Anthony Walsh and Craig Hemmens.

Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar