In this chapter we examine a key justification of punishment, namely utilitarianism, which focuses on the consequences or outcomes of sentencing and punishment. The origins of this approach in the work of Beccaria and Bentham, and its modern expression in the work of writers such as Wilson and Kennedy, will be discussed. We will focus here on the specific outcome of deterrence, considering whether punishment is effective in reducing offending, reviewing the available research on issues including the certainty and severity of punishment. The methodological problems which arise in proving a deterrent effect are reviewed, including in relation to the death penalty. The problems with this justification for punishment are also examined.
Chapter
4. Utility and deterrence
Chapter
4. Utility and deterrence
This chapter examines the utilitarian justification for punishment: an approach that focuses on the consequences or outcomes of sentencing and punishment. It discusses the origins of this approach in the work of Beccaria and Bentham, and its modern expression in the work of writers such as Wilson and Kennedy. Focusing on the specific outcome of deterrence, the chapter begins by reviewing its role in current sentencing practice and policy. It later considers whether punishment is effective in reducing offending, and reviews the available research and the problems that arise in establishing a deterrent effect. It also considers some of the difficulties with the utilitarian justification for punishment.
Chapter
22. Character, circumstances, and the causes of crime: towards an analytical criminology
Per-Olof H. Wikström
This chapter analyses and explains acts of crimes as moral actions (i.e., actions guided by what is the right or wrong thing to do) within an analytical criminology framework. It outlines some common problems of current mainstream criminological theorizing and research, such as the lack of a shared definition of crime, the poor integration of knowledge about the role of people and places in crime causation, the frequent confusion of causes and correlates, and the lack of an adequate action theory, and proposes a more analytical criminology as the remedy. The chapter introduces Situational Action Theory (SAT), a general, dynamic, and mechanism-based theory about crime and its causes, designed to address these problems and provide a foundation for an analytical criminology. It concludes by briefly discussing main implications for the future direction of policy and prevention.
