The Central Purpose of Punishment

Paper Summary:

This paper studies how the American judicial system punishes convicted drug felons. The paper is divided into two main sections: "Prevention, Early Intervention and Rehabilitation", which assesses how the system processes and punishes criminals and "Evaluation of Early Intervention", which offers empirical research on the efficacy of this particular approach. The first section is subdivided according to drug addicts, first time adult offenders and first-time juvenile offenders, with each section exploring the various responses of the judicial system. The author also offers his critique of these responses, concluding that none are effective as either deterrence nor as prevention. The section on evaluation quotes extensively from established research papers, likewise concluding that the current system is insufficient to prevent the cycle of crime. Outline: Prevention Early Intervention and Rehabilitation Drug Addicts Drug Rehabilitation Hospitalization Incarceration Probation First Time Adult Offenders Probation with Rehabilitation Incarceration Juvenile Offenders Possible Causes of Juvenile Delinquency Preventive Rehabilitation Preventing Individual Violent Behavior Preventing Gang Behavior Incarceration Evaluation of Early Intervention in Preventing Criminal Behavior Conclusion

From the Paper:

"For criminals who are addicted to drugs, or are first time offenders and have not committed violent crimes, punishment should include rehabilitation. For felons who have committed several offenses or extremely violent or sexual crimes, rehabilitation often is not possible. The same usually holds true for the criminally insane. For these individuals total physical containment in order to protect the public is essential. In some cases when the crime committed is so horrible that any chance that the prisoner might leave prison is unacceptable, I believe the death penalty is necessary. The current system of criminal punishment is inadequate in dealing with felons that enter system at any stage of what may turn out to be a lifetime of criminal behavior."

More papers on The Central Purpose of Punishment:

• Term Paper # 68786 : "King David of the Old Testament "
• Analytical Essay # 137187 : "Analyzing the Central Concepts of Taoism"
• Article Review # 95340 : "Qualitative Research Analysis"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: