Wright - Deterrence in Criminal Justice
- state and fed incarceration rates increase
- recently sentencing policy goals: enhancing deterrent effect of crim justice system
- research shows the certainty of punishment is more likely to produce deterrent benefits
- conceptualizing deterrence
- increases certainty of punishment, offenders may be deterred by risk of apprehension
- severity of punishment may influence behavior
- problems:
- assumes that ppl consider the consequences before they act
- ½ state prisoners under influence of drugs / alcohol
- most crimes don’t result in an arrest and conviction
- in order for sanctions to deter, potential offenders need to be aware of sanction risks / consequences
- certainty vs severity of punishment
- certainty of punishment more effective deterrent
- more severe sentences fail to enhance public safety
- increases risk that lower-risk offenders will be negatively affected by incarceration
- being incarcerated increases risk of recidivism. also being there longer increases
- reduced sentences may reduce recidivism rates
- economic costs of more severe sentences
- reducing number of incarcerated non-violent offenders by half could save taxpayers $16.9 billion annually w/o putting public safety at risk
- ex: non-violent drug offenders would benefit more from drug treatment in community based programs