Crime & Punishment

Year 9
Lesson 2
 Learning Objectives:

• To know the three theories of punishment

• To consider what should be achieved by
punishment
What would stop you breaking the law?
If society has laws, it must also have punishments for those
who break the laws.

The main aim of punishment is to try to make sure everyone

obeys the law.

However there are several other theories about what

punishment should do…
 There are three types of sentences:
• to punish - to make the offender suffer in proportion to the
amount of harm he or she is thought to have done
• to deter - to frighten the offender from committing crimes
again and to discourage other people, who may be thinking of
committing offences
• to reform - to rehabilitate the offender, so that he or she no
longer feels a need to commit crime
Complete this table in your book using the information to
follow…
Theory Pro’s Con’s Effective at reducing crime?

Retribution

Deterrence

Reform
 Retribution: The idea that punishments should make criminals pay for
what they have done.

Many people think that the punishment should make criminals pay for
their crime in proportion to the severity of the crime they have
committed.

In the past such retributive punishments would have killed those who
committed murder and taken the eyes out of those who blinded
someone.

Nowadays, those who believe in retribution think that criminals should

suffer for what they have done wrong.
 Deterrence: The idea that punishments should be of such a nature that
they will put people off committing crimes

Many people think that punishment should be very severe to

deter people from committing crimes.
For example, if someone knows they will have their hand cut off
if they are caught stealing; then they will not steal; if people
know they will be executed if they are caught murdering, they
will not murder.
Reform: The idea that punishments should try to change criminals so they
will not commit crimes again

Many people think that punishment should be aimed at

reforming the criminals so that they become honest law-
abiding citizens who will not commit crimes again.
Reformative punishments often involve giving criminals
education and qualifications so that they do not feel the need
to be a criminal
 Look at your completed table…
How do you think today’s society deals with punishment?
Can you give any examples?

Most forms of punishment are a mixture of theories. For example,

imprisonment can deter, protect, inflict retribution and give reformation
through education, training and counselling.
 Key words Test
Turn to the back of your book and give definitions of the
following words:

Crime:
Retribution:
Deterrence:
Reform: