Module Three Journal
In our criminal jus ce system, the four purposes of punishment are deterrence which is
the idea that people will avoid unpleasant situa ons either by witnessing others being punished
or through their own experience with punishment in the criminal jus ce system. Incapacita on
is the idea of removal from society such as incarcera on and /or increased supervision such as
parole or proba on to decrease the chance of further vic ms. Rehabilita on is the goal of
today's criminal jus ce system to help criminals through educa on, counseling, and support to
help them re-enter society and not reo end. Finally, Retribu on is the oldest form of
punishment o en cited in religious texts and is o en driven by human emo ons for revenge
and /or the need to get even.
I priori zed these four purposes of punishment with rehabilita on as the most
experience rehabilita on is the most important because if programs are implemented correctly,
it gives the o ender the opportunity not to reo end and re-enter society as a produc ve
member. It can be expensive to set up and implement but these program but in the long run it
does save tax payers money by decreasing re-o ence. It o en gives individual opportunity to
break the chain of criminal behavior of the o ender and if there are children in the o ender's
family it gives the o ender a chance to return to the family with the necessary skills to care for
and assist his or her family. In my experience in the criminal jus ce system of California. Many
prisons o er extensive rehabilita on classes such as anger management, substance-abuse
treatment, therapy and voca onal resources. All of these programs are aimed at decreasing
recidivism and giving individuals the skills needed to succeed in society. Many rehabilita on
programs are geared to replace criminal ac vity with job skills enabling the individual to be self-
su cient once they return to society. In my own personal experience voca onal classes such as
electrical and contrac ng are some of the most popular in the facili es but also have the
longest wai ng list o en individuals do not get the opportunity to become trained in their
chosen skill set due to lack of funding to provide more slots to par cipate.
The second most important is incapacita on because it removes individuals from
causing harm to more vic ms. It also gives them a chance to remove themselves from the
criminal elements in the area they live that could impact successful rehabilita on and reentry
into the community. The me away from the community of origin gives them an opportunity to
work on coping skills that will a system and not reo ending again once home.
Third is deterrence the experience of being in prison or jail or any other closely
supervise program may deter future criminal behavior. Also, individuals in