Written in April, 2011
One of the main duty of the state is to secure its citizens in an order in which they live in safety and have their liberties and other fundamental rights which are arranged by law. Maintaining this order can be achieved by several ways including the punishing criminals who breach the law (Van den Haag, 1991, p.3). In this view, what is the purpose of punishment? It can be deterrence, transformation of criminals, revenge of the authoritarians or protecting community from evil people. The purpose of punishment has changed several times during the history due to changing conditions of communities and states. From the beginning of nineteenth century the aim of imprisonment as a punishment method was to change criminals to normal citizens. This essay will argue this issue in different aspects.
One of the main duty of the state is to secure its citizens in an order in which they live in safety and have their liberties and other fundamental rights which are arranged by law. Maintaining this order can be achieved by several ways including the punishing criminals who breach the law (Van den Haag, 1991, p.3). In this view, what is the purpose of punishment? It can be deterrence, transformation of criminals, revenge of the authoritarians or protecting community from evil people. The purpose of punishment has changed several times during the history due to changing conditions of communities and states. From the beginning of nineteenth century the aim of imprisonment as a punishment method was to change criminals to normal citizens. This essay will argue this issue in different aspects.
