Deterrence, as a purpose of sanctions, aims to do which?

Deterrence, as a purpose of sanctions, aims to do which?

• A. To discourage other people or offenders
• B. To punish the offender
• C. To rehabilitate offenders
• D. To compensate victims

Answer: (A)

Deterrence focuses on preventing future crime by making the consequences of offending seem costly. It works in two ways: general deterrence aims to discourage people in society from committing offences by showing that punishment follows wrongdoing, while specific deterrence aims to discourage the individual offender from reoffending. So the best fit is actions that discourage others or the offender themselves. It isn’t primarily about punishing the offender (retribution), rehabilitating them, or compensating victims (which are separate aims of punishment and justice).

Deterrence focuses on preventing future crime by making the consequences of offending seem costly. It works in two ways: general deterrence aims to discourage people in society from committing offences by showing that punishment follows wrongdoing, while specific deterrence aims to discourage the individual offender from reoffending. So the best fit is actions that discourage others or the offender themselves. It isn’t primarily about punishing the offender (retribution), rehabilitating them, or compensating victims (which are separate aims of punishment and justice).