Why Punish?
View/ Open
Date
2019-08-26Author
Abstract
Three ways of understanding the question ‘Why punish?’ are distinguished.
Answers commonly invoke three purposes and justifications – that punishment is the way
to reduce offending, that it rights the wrong, and that it vindicates the victim. All these
accounts are challenged. There is particular attention to the concept of rehabilitation and
an explication of what this analysis entails for the work of probation. It is concluded
that there is a need to develop a broader philosophy of responding to wrongdoing with
attention to the implementation of punishment and to the ‘end state’ where the wrongful
act may be considered resolved.
Description
The article, based on the McWilliams Memorial lecture in June 2018, has a short response from Prof Nicola Padfield.
The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.
Citation : Canton, R. and Padfield, N. (2019) 'Why Punish?' Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 58 (4), pp. 535-553
ISSN : 2059-1098
Research Institute : Institute for Research in Criminology, Community, Education and Social Justice
Peer Reviewed : Yes