Identify, explain, and evaluate the four goals of incarceration

Question

Please provide the best answer for the statement.

Answer 1

1. Retribution—punishment for those owing a debt to society. However, the punishment does not necessarily fit the crime, as prison terms are longer for minorities than whites, and for men than women, even when both have been convicted of the same offense.
2. Deterrence—using the threat of punishment to hinder future crime. However, 30?50 percent of those released from prison commit new crimes. Fear of prison does not appear to play a role in the decision-making process of offenders, and the recidivism rate is higher than it should be if prison sentences were deterring future criminal behavior.
3. Protection—taking criminals off the street to protect society from further crime by those individuals. However, most criminals do not stay in jail, and the recidivism rate indicates that prison may be a “crime school.”
4. Rehabilitation—providing prisoners with drug or alcohol therapy and an education (e.g., a GED, training for a trade, or college classes) so they will have skills to succeed. Those participating in an education program are less likely to be reincarcerated. However, prisons offer few rehabilitation programs, in part due to funding cuts.