Philosophical perspectives on punishment across historical periods and social contexts

Crime Punishment Philosophy

Since the beginning of the 70s, the number of people inducted in jails and state facilities has increased to an astonishing level. In the present, more than two million individuals are serving jail time in either jails or state prisons. The growth of crime rate and imprisonment can be greatly attributed to the African-American and Hispanic communities residing in the U.S., who still categorize as the poor communities in the urban areas of the country. Even though, the increasing number of arrests and incarceration should in theory have reduced the crime rate, considering that the incarcerated offenders are no longer free to rob, mug or assault (Ezorsky, 1972).

Historical Context of Crime Related Policies and Punishment

However, no large scale crime reduction was recorded till the 1990's, that's when an actual decrease in crime was observed throughout the country. The most important point to be noted here is that even though the crime rate as compared to the data available in history, has decreased noticeably, but still failure in decreasing the crime rate to the extent it should have been decreased has also been observed (Hegel, 1991). Hence this scenario reveals a paradox between the failures to decrease crime rate commensurately with the increase observed in the rate of the severity of the punishment given. Recent studies have proved that among people belonging to another social class or who do not in some way or the other do not fit the "normal" or "accepted" social context of the society or the people who belong to poor urban areas, such individuals are more than often announced with harsher punishments, this in turn has produced iatrogenic or counter deterrent effects (Foucault, 1977).

Present Day Measures

Crime and punishment is such a problem that does not present any easy solution (Garland, 1993). Considering that humans are always prone to procrastination and always bent on denial, the responsibility of amending our justice system and the prisons is no longer the responsibility of the officials in the judicial department only, it also falls on the common citizens of the society to take an active part into. As an alternative to approach to the aforementioned crime punishment system, there are other practical methods which are multi-directional in nature. This approach dictates that those people, who have been incarcerated, should be made part of their own community once they are released and should be made to feel welcomed (Hart, 1968). This is the approach that has already been adopted by many communities and it solely focuses on motivating these individuals to work hard the right way and are made to participate in the communities well being.

pact of Shifting Policies