Punishment Essay, Research Paper

When someone does something against the law they have committed a crime. They then have to be punished. The law decides the punishment. Individuals and the community decide the law.

Crime is one of the biggest problems in the world today. It is an issue that has been debated for many years. Plenty of ?solutions? have been found but none that actually work or have worked.

Ever since people have lived in groups there have even rules and laws to tell them how to behave and punishments for people who break the law. As time has gone by, these punishments have changed to suit our changing society. What has changed in our society is people therefore the impact of the community on law and punishment is great.

People don?t always agree with each other, so every society or group has its own system of laws and rules, to protect the lives and property of its members. Some people are given the privileged power to make sure these rules and laws aren?t broken and to punish anyone who does.

Even though criminals are punished for their crimes there is little evidence that these punishments have any effect on the amount of crime levels. Most criminals repeat their offences time after time. Taking this into consideration, people?s views started changing and instead of cutting criminals off from society and giving up on them, new laws are now about helping criminals change their ideas about crime and getting their lives back into order and to once again become accepted in society.

In the past the law was based purely on society and the community and what they wanted and believed was appropriate punishment for the criminals. In today?s world it isn?t as extreme as it used to be but there is still a large amount decided by the community. Politicians and other people who decide the law have to take the community?s beliefs and values and individuals wants and needs into consideration if they want to stay elected. Without the favour of the community and the individuals in it, they have no future so they make sure everyone is happy with punishment methods.

These days most offenders are punished with a fine or shorter prison sentences. Women have separate prisons and adolescents to special reform centers. Society sees all these methods are much more cheaper and more effective and that to stop crime we have to help the criminals overcome their problems.

Without society and its views, the wrong decisions would be made according to many people. Things like crime and punishment are especially important as the results of these punishments can shape a nation and its people. The world needs to hear individual views and beliefs and societies views and beliefs as a whole to be able to function properly.