Corrections and Rehabilitation

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the phenomenon of recidivism and what is being done or not done to combat it. In particular, three questions relating to deterrence, the relative merits (or demerits) of collective and selective incapacitation and the salutary effects of education upon recidivism will be explored and answered. The paper concludes that while much remains to be written and uncovered vis-a-vis criminal activity, it does appear as though new scholarship is offering opportunities that the American penal system would be foolish not to examine.

From the Paper:

"What is Deterrence? What criminological theory underlies this perspective? Based on the existing evidence, do correctional sanctions "work" to reduce crime? In short, is deterrence effective? Deterrence is commonly defined as the belief that someone can be prevented from committing a crime through fear of the potential consequences arising from commission of the offense in question ("Deterrence", 2005, sec.1). The criminological theory underlying this perspective is known as the Classical school of criminology. Under this view, the objective of punishment is to deter criminals and the severity of the penalty should be only so great as to deter re-occurrence of the crime. This school of thought was heavily indebted to Jeremy Bentham and to his theory of the "hedonistic calculus"."

More papers on Corrections and Rehabilitation:

• Analytical Essay # 123921 : "Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation"
• Research Proposal # 23413 : "Corrective Thinking Rehabilitation"
• Research Paper # 16559 : "Corrective Thinking Rehabilitation Program"

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