9 Punishment and Corrections Free Online FlashCards

What is criminal punishment?

Punishment is a legal response to an offense.

What is retribution as a goal of punishment?

Retribution imposes a proportionate penalty for a wrongful act, emphasizing accountability and just deserts.

How do determinate and indeterminate sentences differ?

A determinate sentence sets a fixed term; an indeterminate sentence sets a range, sometimes leaving release decisions to a parole authority.

How do prisons and jails generally differ?

Prisons generally hold people serving longer sentences for more serious offenses; local jails hold people awaiting court proceedings and people serving shorter sentences.

What is probation?

Probation is community supervision typically imposed instead of, or alongside, incarceration.

What does research suggest about sentence severity and deterrence?

Increasing sentence severity has limited additional deterrent effect, especially when adding years to already lengthy prison terms. The perceived likelihood of being caught tends to matter more.

What does corrections include?

Corrections are the institutions and programs that carry out sentences and supervise people in the community.

What is general deterrence?

General deterrence seeks to discourage the public from committing crimes.

What is specific deterrence?

Specific deterrence seeks to discourage the person who was punished from reoffending.

What is incapacitation in corrections?

Incapacitation restricts a person's ability to commit offenses in the community, most directly through confinement.

What is the goal of rehabilitation?

Rehabilitation addresses factors related to offending, such as substance use or educational needs, to support lawful behavior.

What does restoration seek to accomplish?

Restoration seeks to repair harm, for example through restitution, community service, or restorative processes involving victims and communities.