Module 7: Punishment-Retribution, Rehabilitation, and Deterrence
Introduction
Thus far we have examined issues of vice in American law and asked if they should or should not be considered crimes. In these last two modules we shift gears to examine one of the essential features of American criminal law. punishment. In this module we will look at several theories of punishment in an attempt to answer questions such as: If a vice is a crime, then how should it be punished? What justifies punishment? What is the goal of punishment?
VIDEO: Before we get into the theories of punishment, the following video will provide a basic background in the history of punishment from ancient times through modern America.