Sentencing

Incarceration - The Ultimate Deterrent

The criminal justice system sentences individuals to various forms of punishment in to achieve certain goals . Among these goals are retribution , incapacitation , rehabilitation and deterrence . Each represents a particular objective involved in sentencing : punishing the criminal for the act , preventing the criminal from committing further crimes , changing their mindset and circumstances in to prevent future crimes , and finally , punishing the criminal so that the idea of prison time acts as deterrent

Prisons and jails have poor reputations for providing a quality of life while incarcerated . People

who are accused of crimes will do just about anything in to avoid being sentenced to a jail or prison term . To present a recent example , socialite Paris Hilton was given a 45-day jail sentence for driving drunk while her license was suspended Though she has admitted her guilt , she has now beseeched Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for a pardon to keep her out of jail . The idea of jail as a deterrent was ineffective the last time she was in trouble because she didn 't truly believe that she would go to jail . The same is true for many celebrities they do not need to think about the consequences of their actions because they are rarely subjected to significant punishment . If Ms . Hilton serves the jail sentence , it will act as a deterrent in the future

Prisoners find a different way of life on the inside ' - they no longer have any freedom , every moment of the day is planned out for them . They cannot choose what to wear , what to eat , or even what time to go to bed . They must co-exist with whichever prisoners are assigned to their cell or unit . In this respect , they are denied the comforts to which they are usually entitled . Sentencing criminals to jail or prison terms is the most effective means of punishment because the average reasonable person does not want to spend time incarcerated

Works Cited

(2007 May 5 . Paris Hilton sentenced to 45 days in jail . Retrieved May 5 , 2007 , from CNN .com Web site http /www .cnn .com /2007 /SHOWBIZ /TV /05 /04 /paris .hilton .ap /index .html

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