Chapter Questions
Describe the debate about the role of corrections that erupted in the mid-1960s. Address the issues of social defense and retribution.
Explain Beccaria's influence on the role of prisons. Under what circumstances did he believe capital punishment was justified?
Define the principles that are essential for punishment to be morally acceptable.
Explain the moral justification for “retribution” concerning incarceration. On what grounds do opponents disagree?
What are the preventative, deterrent, and rehabilitative roles of imprisonment?
Explain why we are a “society that loves walls.” How does overcrowding cause a serious challenge to the integrity of corrections?
Why do some experts believe that pain should be put back in prisons? How do you respond to their statements?
How did the advancement of societies in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries affect the concept of punishment? Discuss how the moral values of the Quakers influenced the treatment of prisoners.
Explain how the term rehabilitation has changed over time. Do you agree with critics who state that “nothing works”? Why or why not?
Describe the classical methods of rehabilitation. Discuss the state of rehabilitation today.
Explain the difference between convicted criminals and shadow criminals. Do you believe that “we're all doing time”? Why or why not?