Introducing Rehabilitation

Risk factors

Retributive explanations

  • Person traits and opportunity: Free will, suitable taget or lack of capable guardian


Reductivism explanations

  • Predetermined factors that are beyond individual control

    • Psych-bio/ Psych social: trauma, mental healthy, substance misuse.

    • Socio-cultural: Honour killing

    • Socio- economic: Poverty/ unemployment

    • Socio-bio: Aggression/ assault

    • Social: peer pressure/ socialisation


    • Low ability, Skills & education attainment: low social mobility

    • Strain & Social disorganisation: lack legitimate means to achieve valued goals & weak community institutions

Crime is socially constructed. It is not a fixed or natural category


Why and how should we punish offenders?

Why: Justice, deterrence, peace &order, social-contract (see semester 1 session1- part 2 lecture) addressing the root causes of criminality, to reform/ transform, to give them better position in the society.


How: See sem 1 lecture content- session

  1. Punitive measures / Retributive

(i) proportionate to the offence committed (just desert) Deterrence – discouraging future offending (individual & general) Incapacitation – restricting offenders to protect the public

  1. Non- punitive measures / Reductivism
    (i) Addressing root causes (consequentialist) )Rehabilitation
    (ii )Repairing harm and reconciliation Restorative justice / reparative justice Session