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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper discusses the deterrence theory of crime and the rational/legal theoretical orientation of the criminal justice system. The research shows that certainty of punishment is more of a deterrent than severity. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: ME12_PG699244.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
three decades when the public and the government called for harsher, more severe punishments to reduce crime rates. This led to the getting tough on crime policy and the "three
strikes youre out" law. The third conviction results in a life sentence. What has the result been? State and federal incarceration rates have increased dramatically. In 2010, 2.3 million people
were incarcerated in prisons and jails in the country (Wright, 2010). At this point, research suggests that it is the certainty of punishment rather than the severity of the punishment
that acts as a better deterrent (Wright, 2010). We can use a simple everyday event-when there are more state troopers on the nations highways, drivers tend to drive closer
to the speed limit because they do not want to get a speeding ticket. Of course, this assumes that humans are always rational and we know they are not, especially
when committing crimes. If there were a 100 percent certainty of getting arrested and convicted, not many people would commit the crime. Most crimes do not result in an
arrest, which dramatically reduces the deterrence effect (Wright, 2010). The severity of the punishment holds little meaning for a criminal when there is so little certainty that they will
get caught. Gleissner (2011) reported that only 1.2 percent of burglaries result in the burglar going to prison. If they do get caught and convicted, they act like they are
the victims. This is true for all sorts of criminals. It is difficult to determine the effect of deterrence policies because potential offenders need to be aware of the risks
and consequences before they commit the crime. Basically, that means the public needs to be aware. Members of the public are seldom aware of sanctions such as prison sentences for
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