Restorative Justice: Difference Between General and Specific Deterrence

1st Teacher
S - You identified a potential strategy for a restorative justice program. Please determine if an urban art program has been used in a municipality and provide the appropriate sourcing for the class.
2nd reply Peer
W(She/Her)
The difference between specific deterrence and general deterrence is that specific deterrence is strategies that are focused on deterring the individual from committing a crime, conversely, general deterrence are strategies that deters larger populations or the general population from committing a crime (Boussara, 2019). An example of specific deterrence is an offender receiving a punitive measure such as incarceration, probation, or an alternative punishment because they committing a crime. General deterrence focuses on how a general population understands how uncomfortable it would be to receive these punitive measures, and therefore, they do not commit the crime.
Theft is a non-violent crime, and the sanctions on theft depend on the overall value of the property taken. The sanctions range from six months incarceration based on the misdemeanor statute and up to 20 years for felonies in which the value of the property was over $25,000. Fines may also be imposed for thefts of certain types or if there is destruction of property (GA Code, 2020). I do not believe that these sanctions deter the crime of theft, first many who commit the crime of theft are young people 43% of larceny or thefts between 2017-2021 were committed by people between the ages of 16-29 (Georgia's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 2021). Young people have the highest rate of recidivism after release, especially when they are released at a younger age (Alper, 2018). Furthermore, incarceration may lead to higher rates of recidivism (National Institute of Justice, 2016).
A restorative justice approach would be more supportive of deterrence because restorative justice emphasizes accountability and punishment is not the main focus. Furthermore, it takes on the root cause of theft which for many is poverty, and shifts the focus of the root cause to the support that is needed to prevent theft within the community. Furthermore, restorative justice allows for the community to work to create real solutions, accountability, and preventative measures to protect the community and victims (Brooks, 2017).
Resources
Alper, M. (2018). 2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism: A 9-Year Follow-up Period (2005-2014). In Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Brooks, T. (2017). Punitive restoration and restorative justice. Criminal Justice Ethics, 36(2), 122–140.
Bourassa, C. (2019). Deterrence theory.. In Salem Press encyclopedia.
Georgia’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. (2021). 2021 Summary Report Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Georgia Crime Information Center. In Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
GA Code § 16-8-12 (2020)Links to an external site.
National Institute of Justice. (2016). Five things about deterrence. 
3rd Peer:
H
Hello Classmates,
The main differences between that General deterrence is that it works on a large population at large and the punishment of one wrongdoer serves as an example to all of society about the cost of misbehavior. Specific deterrence is aimed at the individual should have a new and enhanced understanding of the personal cost of behavior. Therefore, specific deterrence is aimed at the individual; once the law is violated, and the consequence realized, that individual should have a new and enhanced understanding of the personal cost of the illegal behavior. Specific deterrence directly experience punishment and punishment avoidance and General deterrence experience punishment and punishment avoidance indirectly when others are punished. A non victim crime would be petty theft in the state of Florida would be a Second Degree Misdemeanor, with 60 days in jail or probation and a $500 fine. I believe that these sanctions are properly applied to the crime. I believe that a restorative justice may be applicable to this crime due to that you would able to rehabilitate someone for.
References:
Bourassa, C. (2019). Deterrence theoryLinks to an external site.. In Salem Press encyclopedia
The 2023 Florida Statues