Crime and Punishment

Law and Order
1. Religion
  1. Christianity
    1. 'A man reaps what he sows'
  2. Islam
    1. They follow the Shari'ah law which is based on the Qua'ran
  3. Buddhism
    1. You get bad karma for committing crimes
2. The Extent
  1. 30,000 crimes a day in England and Wales
Causes
1. Social
  1. Majority excluded from school
  2. Abusive/violent parents and broken homes provide poor role models
  3. Drug, alcohol and gambling addiction may be financed through criminal activity
2. Environmental
  1. People out of work have financial problems
  2. Rivalry between gangs
    1. People carry weapons
  3. Higher among those who have a deprived background
3. Psychological
  1. Suffer from mental illness
  2. Human natural to be greedy
  3. Copying violence on the T.V. and video games
Types
1. Civil Law
  1. Things like divorces and disputes over wills
2. Criminal Law
  1. Where state law has been broken
3. Against the Person
  1. Wrongdoing that directly harms a person
    1. Murder
    2. Assault
4. Against Property
  1. Damaging items belonging to someone else
    1. Vandalism
    2. Theft
5. Religious Offenses
  1. An offence against a religion
    1. Blasphemy
    2. Sacrilege
6. Against the State
  1. An offence aimed at damaging the government or country
    1. Treason
Aims of Punishment
1. Religion
  1. Buddhism
    1. Reparation and reformation
      1. So the offender can get good karma to counteract
      2. Excessive cruelty damages the offenders mind
  2. Islam
    1. Deterrence and reformation
      1. Public humiliation and beatings
      2. Repent and seek guidance from Allah
  3. Christianity
    1. Christians focus on vindication and reformation
      1. The law needs to be upheld
      2. Punishment and forgiveness
2. Aims
  1. Protection
    1. Prison keeps people away from the opporunity to do crimes
  2. Retribution
    1. Getting even, 'an eye for an eye'
  3. Detterence
    1. Puts people of by harsh consequences to others, e.g. public beatings
  4. Reformation
    1. Turning criminals into law-abiding citizens
  5. Vindication
    1. Show that the law is respected
  6. Reparation
    1. Community service, etc.
Young Offenders
1. Who?
  1. Anyone under the age of 18 who breaks the law
2. Age of responsibilty
  1. In England, it is 10 (Criminally)
  2. Jewdaism
    1. Bar Mitzvah at 13 for boys and Bat Mitzvah at 12 for girls
Forms of Punishment
1. Prison
  1. Religion
    1. Religious leaders often visit prisons and preach
  2. Against
    1. Prisoners can educate each other in criminal methods
    2. Often breed resentment against society
    3. Doesn't bring about reform as many prisoners reoffend
    4. A prison record makes it hard to get a job, which may lead them back to crime
  3. For
    1. Protects society from dangerous criminals
    2. Isolate those who deserve punishment
    3. Stop people reoffending
    4. Act as a a deterrent for others
    5. Offenders can reflect on their actions and reform
  4. Facts & Figures
    1. Prison populations are now over 80,000
      1. This is double what it was in 1993
    2. The re-offending rate has risen from 50% to 70% since the 90's
2. Capital Punishment
  1. Religion
    1. Buddhism
      1. Against the First Precept
      2. Teachings of non-violence and compassion
      3. Bhutan and Thailand have the death penelty
    2. Islam
      1. Sometimes used for Muslim's that convert to another religion
      2. Most Muslim countries it's for murder
    3. Christianity
      1. The death penalty is a deterrent
      2. Life is sacred. Only God has the right
      3. 'Whoever sheds the blood of a man, by man shall his blood be shed'
  2. Against
    1. Innocent people are sometimes exectuted
    2. Prison protects society too
    3. Reformed criminals can be a good influence
    4. Only God has the right to end someone's life
  3. For
    1. 'A life for a life'
    2. Acts as a deterrent
    3. It protects society
    4. It costs taxpayers thousands to keep murderers in prison
  4. U.K.
    1. In 1965 the death penalty was abolished for a 5 year experiment
      1. In 1969 this was made permenant
    2. Three people executed have received posthumous pardons
3. 'Soft Options'
  1. Probation
    1. Have to visit a probation officer on a regular basis
    2. Allows them to have freedom, family and friends
  2. Fines
    1. Maximum fine is £5,000
    2. For parking tickets and speeding, etc.
  3. Electronic Tagging
    1. Between 3 months and 4 years
    2. Much cheaper than prison
    3. Commonly used for sex offenders
  4. Community Service
    1. Unpaid work performed by the offender for the benefit of the local community
    2. Offender is sometimes given a curfew
4. Reform?
  1. Parole
    1. Released before the end of their prison sentence
    2. Based on their behaviour in prison etc.
  2. Life Imprisonment
    1. Theoretically means that the person is in prison till they die
    2. Could have a psychological impact
  3. Early Release
    1. Demonstrated good behaviour
    2. May be a low risk to society
  4. Prison Reform
    1. Improving conditions for prisoners
    2. Howard league for penal reform
    3. Over 5,000 people in prison waiting for psychiatric care

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Crime and Punishment

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	Created by Lara Coffin almost 10 years ago