Attitude to treatment of Criminals

• Aims of punishment


  • Retribution
  • Deterrence
  • Reformation
• Retribution


  To pay back the same level for the crime committed
• Deterrence


  To put people off committing crime
• Reformation


  To change a criminal's behaviour for the better
• Prison


  • For those who commit serious crimes
  • Takes away freedom
  • Often given an education or train in a skill
  • Often receive counselling
• Corporal punishment


  • Punished by causing them physical pain
  • Illegal in the UK
  • Used in Sharia law in Islamic countries
• Community service


  • Used for less serious crimes
  • A chance to make up for what they've done
  • Unpaid work in the community
  • Usually wear a high-vis vest
  • Usually comes alongside treatment programmes
• Community service as a type of punishment

  • Achieves retribution for less serious crimes
  • Achieves deterrence as people would not want to be seen wearing the high-visibility vest and would not want to do unpaid work
  • Achieves reformation as it is often done alongside treatment programmes or counselling
• Some Christians believe community service is an effective method of punishment for minor crimes such as vandalism
• Some Muslims believe community service is an ineffective type of punishment
• Some Muslims believe community service is not enough of a deterrence to prevent these crimes from happening again