The Pros and Cons of Judicial Corporal Punishment

779 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Positive effect of prison rehabilitation

Punishment, the word has brought fear to men and children alike, leaning towards adult offenders it tends to take on deeper connotations. As a child you would be punished by your parents, school leaders and other parental figures, and mostly under not so serious circumstances, usually requiring very little corporal punishment and/or separation from entertainment devices. As we get older the offenses tend to be greater and therefore demand greater punishment, despite having histories involving death sentences and hard labor, some methods have done little to deter some offenders. The question this raises of course, should we focus more on punishment or on rehabilitation, concentrating on punishment some would say stricter… while many will say we can’t be too strict. We have way of punishment that delves from corporal to separation, extremes that favor either or, and then extremes that bring them together. “Those in favor of Judicial Corporal Punishment argue that corporal punishment is a quick and effective method and less cruel than long-term imprisonment; adherents to this viewpoint think that corporal punishment should be re-considered in countries that have banned it as an alternative to imprisonment; some even want corporal punishment to replace fines for such minor offences as graffiti.” (K, 2013)
Most in favor would argue that long term imprisonment could greatly alter ones mental wellness, resulting in an almost brainwashed affect, someone who can no longer function as a productive member of society… which defies the point of imprisoning and changing a person to be more active in initiating a more productive lifestyle to begin with. As it stands, there are numerous reasons for and against this type or style of punishment w...

... middle of paper ...

...they are inside to help them understand and leave that life. I do not believe in abandoning corporal punishment, yet do I believe in one or the other, I believe that in order to save this country from a failing corrections system; we need to begin with what we named it, the ‘Corrections System’. We need to reinvent what it takes to correct this behavior, to reestablish punishments that stir the populace away from committing these acts in the first place and programs that help to correct after the fact.

Works Cited
K, C. (2013). http://chandrasekharank.hubpages.com/hub/Corporate-Punishment-Pros-Cons. Retrieved from http://chandrasekharank.hubpages.com.
Mathis, C. (2013, July 29). http://www.academia.edu/4172140/Punishment_Versus_Rehabilitation. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu.
Robinson, G. C. (2009). Offender Rehabilitation : Theory, Research and Practice.

Show More
Related

  • The Punishment Imperative Summary

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Punishment Imperative, a book based on the transition from a time when punishment was thought to be necessarily harsh to a time where reform in the prion system is needed, explains the reasons why the grand social experiment of severe punishment did not work. The authors of the book, Todd R. Clear and Natasha A. Frost, strongly argue that the previous mindset of harsh punishment has been replaced due to political shifts, firsthand evidence, and spending issues within the government. Clear and Frost successfully assert their argument throughout the book using quantitative and qualitative information spanning from government policies to the reintegration of previous convicts into society.

    Read More

  • The Rise of America’s Prison Empire

    1930 Words  | 4 Pages

    When envisioning a prison, one often conceptualizes a grisly scene of hardened rapists and murderers wandering aimlessly down the darkened halls of Alcatraz, as opposed to a pleasant facility catering to the needs of troubled souls. Prisons have long been a source of punishment for inmates in America and the debate continues as to whether or not an overhaul of the US prison system should occur. Such an overhaul would readjust the focuses of prison to rehabilitation and incarceration of inmates instead of the current focuses of punishment and incarceration. Altering the goal of the entire state and federal prison system for the purpose of rehabilitation is an unrealistic objective, however. Rehabilitation should not be the main purpose of prison because there are outlying factors that negatively affect the success of rehabilitation programs and such programs would be too costly for prisons currently struggling to accommodate additional inmate needs.

    Read More

  • The Harmful Effects Of Long Harm Segregation In Prisons

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    If a person convicted of a crime shows no signs of being mentally ill when entering a prison which enforces the long-term use solitary confinement, by the time they completed their sentence and are released, their mental health will have been severely compromised. Studies have shown that the long-term use of segregation in prisons can cause a wide variety of phycological effects such as anxiety, psychosis, depression, perceptual distortions, and paranoia, often leading to a desire to self-harm or in more severe cases suicide. Not only is it wrong to hold a criminal in solitary confinement for any longer then fifteen days, it is unconstitutional. Although many believe the use of solitary

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Cruel And Unusual Punishment

    1318 Words  | 3 Pages

    What do you consider to be cruel and unusual punishment? Most people when asked this question think of medieval torture devices, burning people alive, and hard slave labor. However, cruel and unusual punishment, which is a protected against right by the eighth amendment, stretches far beyond these cliches and is still occurring in modern society. The case Miller v. Alabama and a parallel case, Jackson v. Hobbs deals with such punishments and brings up the questions of what, in current times, is to be considered cruel and unusual punishment. Miller v. Alabama addresses with the debate that arose surrounding the mandatory sentence of life without parole for a juvenile when two boys, fourteen-year-old Evan Miller and sixteen-year-old Colby Smith,

    Read More

  • Rehabilitation Case Study

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although it has varied in its forms, punishment is largely influenced by the theories and socially constructed views of criminal activity. It is important to acknowledge how the forms of punishment have progressed from public humiliation and executions to solitary confinement and into today, with forced labor and firmly established routines. Even how the structures have changed with the number of those incarcerated. From initially only being two-story houses to being massive communities hidden behind penitentiary walls, it becomes important to question what their true purpose really is. Although it can be argued that prisons are still a form of rehabilitation for offenders, when you examine what it is that the inmates are actually doing, they are benefitting the economy more than they are benefitting themselves. Making budget cuts towards education and counseling services, which are necessary to reform offenders, is only going to continue to increase rates of incarceration. Instead, that money is currently being invested in ways to further expand the prison enterprise and displace those who are marginalized. Racism and economic greed has been embedded into prison functioning. In order to reduce recidivism rates there needs to be more of a focus on decreasing crime and the rates of incarceration by focusing more heavily on resources and

    Read More

  • Capital Punishment Essay: Enforcing The Death Penalty

    833 Words  | 2 Pages

    Enforcing death penalty in itself deters people from getting suitable opportunity to ensure that rehabilitation is enhanced. It is necessary to note that many individuals who have been charged with capital punishment have been emotionally and psychologically unstable. Enforcing the death penalty therefore denies them room for rehabilitation. There is a need to advance towards rehabilitation as opposed to advocating for execution. If individuals know that upon committing a capital offence they will be sentenced to death, they will hardly consider reform programs. It is also crucial to note that there is no concrete evidence on advantages derived from the death penalty. The truth is that it only aids in perpetuating death and chains of violence. Prisons should serve as centers to rehabilitate violent fellows, and then return them to the community as fully reformed and responsible individuals. It is therefore not justifiable that a death penalty should be enforced to them at all

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Bring Back Flogging

    1128 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Bring Back Flogging, Jeff Jacob argues that the current criminal justice system in America is not effective or successful. He then suggests that America should bring back the old fashioned form of punishment once used by the puritans, flogging, as an alternative to imprisonment (1988). Also, he says that corporal punishment is a better way to punish criminals since it is less costly for the state (98). He appeals to pathos and uses statistics to prove his thesis and persuade the audience. His argument that the current criminal justice system is not working is extremely convincing; however, he gives no reason why corporal punishment is the best alternative to imprisonment and never offers any other options.

    Read More

  • Prison: Inside and Out

    2118 Words  | 5 Pages

    Freedom in any society is a condition that is directly correlated to the compliance of society’s rules, regulations, and laws. This right afforded to citizens under the constitution is surrendered by those who choose to disregard and trample on the set of standards and behavior needed for a society to maintain order and avoid anarchy. When loss of freedom is the tool used to punish this segment of society, prisons become the instrumentality used to carry out the various freedom restrictions under the law for each individual. Citizens who find themselves incarcerated in prison will be exposed to an entirely different environment than those in free society. In addition, there is a psychological impact on those being reintroduced into society after having completed long-term sentences, an impact many believe contribute to the high recidivism rates in the United States. The criminal justice system with all of its connected inner workings may not address all of the concerns inside and out of our current prison system, but just as we have improved on our prisons from the past, we will continue to improve and implement new techniques and design precise programs in our future prisons.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of 'The Prisoner's Dilemma'

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Western cultures imprisonment is the universal method of punishing criminals (Chapman 571). According to criminologists locking up criminals may not even be an effective form of punishment. First, the prison sentences do not serve as an example to deter future criminals, which is indicated, in the increased rates of criminal behavior over the years. Secondly, prisons may protect the average citizen from crimes but the violence is then diverted to prison workers and other inmates. Finally, inmates are locked together which impedes their rehabilitation and exposes them too more criminal

    Read More

  • Bring Back Flogging

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    In “Bring Back Flogging” Jeff Jacoby, a columnist for the Boston Globe, presents the use of corporal punishment as an alternative to the current system of imprisonment. Published in February of 1997, the article states that flogging would be a more effective means of punishment than jail. He insists it would be less expensive and serve as a deterrent to first time offenders. Jacoby’s thoughts on prison reform are legitimate, but his reasoning behind the use of corporal punishment is flawed. He fails to provide reasonable support for his argument which leaves the reader guessing as to the seriousness of his claim.

    Read More

  • Capital Punishment: A Perspective from Death Row

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    punishment is an asset to society: it is the only punishment that fits the crime, it deters potential criminals

    Read More

  • Imprisonment is Ineffective as Punishment

    1773 Words  | 4 Pages

    Coyle (2005). The 'Standard'. To say whether using prison as a form of punishment has aid in the quest of tackling the crime problem, one must first consider the purposes of the prison.... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Reform Vs. Punishment

    1601 Words  | 4 Pages

    For many years, there have been a huge debate on the ideal of reform versus punishment. Many of these debates consist of the treatment and conditioning of individuals serving time in prison. Should prison facilities be a place solely to derogate freewill and punish prisoners as a design ideology of deterrence? Should prison facilities be design for rehabilitation and conditioning, aim to educate prisoners to integrate back into society.

    Read More

  • Does The Punishment Fit The Crime?

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... Prisons need to be structured, orderly, isolated and individualized in order to really rehabilitate the offender. Despite the very strict methods needed in order to accomplish prisoner reformation, this type of punishment was still a far cry from the public executions that were popular in earlier history. Policy makers, the public and a new generation of thinkers are now focused on stabilizing American society and improving the conditions of mankind (Rotham), particularly when it comes to the criminal justice system rather than simply demonstrating power and control to try and maintain deterrence.

    Read More

  • The Purpose of Punishment in a Modern Society

    2222 Words  | 5 Pages

    According to David Garland, punishment is a legal process where violators of the criminal law are condemned and sanctioned with specified legal categories and procedures (Garland, 1990). There are different forms and types of punishment administered for various reasons and can either be a temporary or lifelong type of punishment. Punishment can be originated as a cause from parents or teachers with misbehaving children, in the workplace or from the judicial system in which crimes are committed against the law. The main aim of punishment is to demonstrate to the public, the victim and the offender that justice is to be done, to reduce criminal activities and to deter people from wanting to commit any form of crime against the law. In other words it is a tool used to eliminate the bad in society or to deter people from committing criminal activities.

    Read More

More about The Pros and Cons of Judicial Corporal Punishment

Open Document