The Goals of Punishment (Lecture Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts from the Week 3 lecture on punishment goals, sanctions, and correctional models.

Retribution

Deserved punishment; punishment as a matter of justice, often described as an eye for an eye, focus on punishing the offender for the crime.

Deterrence

Discouraging unwanted behavior by instilling fear of punishment; aims to prevent crime by deterring others (general) or the offender (specific).

Specific deterrence

Deterring the individual offender from committing future offenses.

General deterrence

Discouraging the general public from committing crime by making examples of punished individuals.

Incapacitation

Removing the offender's ability to commit further crimes, typically through confinement; may involve selective incapacitation.

Rehabilitation

Restoring the offender to health or normal functioning through treatment to reduce future crime and recidivism.

Restorative Justice

Punishment designed to repair harms to victims and the community by involving the offender, victim, and community in accountability and repair.

Victim-offender mediation

A restorative process where victims and offenders meet to discuss harms and agree on reparative actions.

Family group conferences

Restorative process involving family and community to discuss harms and plan repair.

Three Strikes Law

Laws that require long prison terms after a third felony conviction (often life without parole); controversial and with debated deterrent effects.

Indeterminate sentence

Incarceration with a stated minimum and maximum term; parole eligibility depends on progress toward treatment.

Determinate sentence

A fixed term of incarceration set by the court.

Mandatory sentence

A required minimum term for certain crimes, limiting judges' discretion.

Probation

A sentence allowing the offender to serve sanctions in the community under supervision.

Intermediate sanctions

Punishments more restrictive than probation but less than incarceration, used to reflect offense severity and community needs.

Fines

Monetary penalties paid to the state.

Restitution

Money paid by the offender to victims to compensate for losses.

Forfeiture

Seizure by the state of property obtained illegally or used in the commission of a crime.

Community service

Offender performs work for the community as part of the sanction.

Home confinement

Residential confinement with monitoring; offender must stay at home except for approved activities.

Shock probation

A short period of incarceration followed by probation to deter future offending.

Death Penalty

State-sanctioned execution for murder in some jurisdictions; controversial and not uniformly applied.

Incarceration

Imprisonment; deprivation of liberty.

Invisible punishments

Punishments outside formal sanctions that restrict civil rights and opportunities (e.g., voting, employment).

Felon disenfranchisement

Laws restricting the right to vote for felons, varying by state and stage (in prison, on parole, or on probation).

Medical Model

Corrections model that views criminal behavior as caused by social, psychological, or biological deficiencies requiring treatment.

Community Model

Goal of reintegration into the community; emphasizes community-based corrections and reintegration over punishment alone.

Crime Control Model

Model that emphasizes reducing crime through incarceration and strict supervision, with less focus on rehabilitation.