Criminal Justice - Crime & Punishment

Paper Summary:

The paper states that only the human species is known to inflict pain purely for retribution. The fact that justice and punishment for rule violations are evident in animals, and that different human cultures have defined justice, crime, and punishment in myriad, and often in mutually contradictory terms, suggests the need to establish objective principles for concepts of justice that are indeed just. The paper concludes that "justice" incorporates objective rules without basis, which reflect the strength to impose the will of the of those more powerful in society, over the less powerful. The paper also states that crime and punishment are exclusive to human societies, notwithstanding our current relative inability to administer those concepts uniformly and justly, in most human society.

Outline:
A Survey of Cultural Variation of Crime and Punishment Throughout History
Toward the Objective Standard of Justifiable Criminal Definitions and Punishment
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In particular, purposeful actions on the part of society or dominant group of leaders to address unwanted behaviors or actions of the individual is apparent among many animal species, such as in relation to violations of established social and pair-bonding relationships and hierarchy of access to food and other natural resources (Gerrig & Zimbardo 2005). In certain primates, for example, group members risk both physical retaliation and elements of social exclusion if they are discovered by other group members to have hidden or failed to share resources by not disclosing its existence or location."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Friedman, L.M. (2005) A History of American Law. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• Gerrig, R., Zimbardo, P. (2005) Psychology and Life 17th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon
• Henslin, J.M. (2002) Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Boston: Pearson.
• Macionis, J.J. (2002) Sociology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall
• Schmalleger, F. (1997) Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century. New Jersey: Prentice Hall

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