Four Functions of Corrections

Purpose of Corrections: Punishment or Rehabilitation
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Purpose of Corrections: Punishment or Rehabilitation
Over the years, the corrections centers have performed four functions; retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation. Incapacitation is a situation where the correction center prevents a future crime from happening by removing the defendant from the community. Some examples of incapacitation include incarceration, execution after the death penalty, or a house arrest. On the other hand, rehabilitation is where the correction center prevents future crime by changing the defendant's behavior (Schuman, 2021). Some rehabilitation measures are; counseling, educational and vocational programs, and treatment center placement. Retribution prevents future crime by removing the individual's desire to commit revenge against the defendant. This happens when the victim finds out the defendant has been adequately punished for the crime. Deterrence is when the correction center uses threats or punishment to prevent people from committing a crime (Watamura et al., 2022). For example, when individuals know that committing a crime would cause a huge fine, jail term, or execution, they fear doing it.
The following four functions have attracted both support and criticism from society. For example, those who support incapacitation highlight that incapacitation would help to reduce the number of crimes in society by removing criminals. However, other individuals criticize it since the...