Sentencing Goals of Corrections

There are five sentencing goals of corrections identifying with retribution, punishment, test of proportionality, specific deterrence and general deterrence. Retribution in some cases has similar goals with punishment for criminal acts carried out (McElreath et al, 2011). It has been noted that offenders deserving punishment are inflicted with the penalty for the doing wrong. Punishment improves the effectiveness of the correctional goal in inflicting suffering or pain. Law and order in the society is maintained by the state through punishment; fairness is maintained to citizens abiding by the law of the land.

Test of proportionality according to surveys was used in guiding sentencing depending on the offense gravity and the consistency of punishment severity (McElreath et al, 2011). It is argued that the crime must be proportionate to the criminal sentence convicted to the defendant. Test of proportionality ensures that the defendant is handed a fair sentencing, comparing with similar convictions in the jurisdiction.

Deterrence is divided into two parts identifying with general deterrence and specific deterrence. Specific deterrence is pegged on specific punishments, which targets offenders from never repeating the offence, this is made possible by creating fear; the offender is made to understand the consequences of the offense (McElreath et al, 2011). Indirect or general deterrence is put in place in crime prevention among the general public, the correctional facility defines samples pegged on specific deviants. The punishment accorded to the offenders is based on public view; an example being borrowing from rational choice theory (McElreath et al, 2011).

Deterrence is the most effective sentencing goal in the corrections, since it applies the threat in form of punishment with the intention of deterring people from indulging in offences. In a number of jurisdictions, deterrence is contrasted with the attributes of retributivism, which goes ahead in arguing that a punishment is a necessity considering consequences related to crime, and that the severity of the punishment is determined by gravity of the crime. Deterrence considers the public opinion, which buys in the confidence of the citizens, as they feel part of the process, hence easy to implement and yielding high effectiveness (McElreath et al, 2011).

References

McElreath, D. H. et al. (2011). Introduction to Corrections. London: CRC Press.