The purpose of punishment

What is the purpose of punishment? One purpose is obviously to

reform the offender, to correct the offenders moral attitudes and anti-

social behaviour and rehabilitate him or her, which means to assist

the offender to return to normal life as a useful member of the

community. Punishment can also be seen as a deterrent because it

warns other people of what will happen if they are tempted to break

the law and so prevents them from doing so. However, a third

purpose of punishment lies, perhaps, in societys desire for

retribution, which basically means revenge. In other words , don’t

we feel that wrongdoer should suffer for his misdeeds? The of

punishment should also be considered. On the one hand some

believe that we should make the punishment fit the crime. Those

who steal from others should be deprived of their own property to

ensure that criminals are left in no doubt that crime doesn’t pay. For

those who attack others, corporal punishment should be used.

Murderers should be subject to the principle an eye for an eye and a

tooth for a tooth and automatically receive the death penalty. On the

other hand, it is said that such views are unreasonable, cruel and

barbaric and we that should show a more humane attitude to

punishment and try to understand why a person commits a crime

and how society has failed to enable him to live a respectable law-

abiding life.