Does Punishment Deter Crime?
“It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them.”
— Cesare Beccaria
Humanity has been creating laws and punishments for crimes since the Code of Ur-Nammu in 21st century BC (BCE). Though the code contains harsh punishments like being put to death for robbery, as well as certain outdated laws, the general idea has stuck for over 40 centuries. Rather than trying to be an impediment to crime, however, the origin of the laws was simply to serve justice. The problem with this justice is that, unless something can be physically returned, the detriment that the crime has left cannot be taken back. So, does that make it morally necessary to solely punish someone for a crime, rather than help them find a better path of life? And what changes can we make in the modern world that will stop us from being in a loop of crime and punishment, and actually start to reduce crime itself?
The origin of crime is not the desire to commit it, but the will of the criminal being stronger than their fear of the consequences. If this is true, then why do we punish the criminal, rather than creating an environment that doesn’t give them such a will beforehand? Along with this, what good does it do to serve justice by disadvantaging another person? The value of someone does not reduce after they commit a crime, so we shouldn’t normalize acting as if it does. Instead, we should give others equal respect, and view them as a version of ourselves, no matter what they have done. Crime doesn’t come from nowhere, it comes from places most of us are lucky enough not to be in.
Crime is so normalized in the present day that punishment is just a reaction, without the intention of preventing crime. If the conditions that lead to crime remain unchanged, then punishment becomes a cycle rather than a solution. Rather than focusing on what to do when the crime is committed, we should focus on what to do to make sure the crime isn’t committed. It is much more efficient to protect your walls, rather than focusing on rebuilding them when they fall. But, you should still rebuild them after they fall. Furthermore, punishment is incomplete. We should look at criminals as people of equal value that should be helped, rather than secluding them as if they are of lesser value than you and I. In summary, punishment doesn’t deter crime, nor does it fix it. What truly deters crime is the loss of the will to commit it. Thank you for reading Social Science 43, and have a splendid day.
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