The aim of individual deterrence is to ensure an offender does not reoffend.
A suspended sentence is an example of individual deterrence as imprisonment will occur if further crimes are committed. This is hoped to prevent future offending.
Recidivism rate would suggest that many prisioners are not deterred from committing crimes as reoffending rate is nearly 50% within a year of release.
Aim of general deterrence is to prevent offenders from committing a crime. However, often the impact of a sentence with a deterrent element is weakended by it relating to someone else.
