Essay
Re-offending Statistics in the UK
- Module
- Criminology
- Institution
- Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)
In this essay the re-offending statistics is discussed and also how the justice system is unfair
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Reoffending in the UKIn today’s society punishment may seem fair as they are punished in a retributivist manner which
means theirs a correlation between the crime and the law. Some forms of punishment like
rehabilitation provide an opportunity for the offender to rehabilitate while getting what they
deserve in prison for example most offenders will be given the chance to educate themselves and
prepare for a better life once they have left prison, so they can contribute to society. However, some
aspects of punishment can be unfair as the government scheme of POCA which aims to make the
offender post crime pay back a certain amount of money out of their legitimately earned money.
(Fletcher, Russel Webster, n.d.)
Punishments must involve an evil towards a person who has broken the rules put before them. For
example, a child who took something after being told no by their parents they would put the child in
a time out this would be a ‘necessary evil’ which helps with raising a child. Punishment consists of
incapacitation, deterrence, retribution, and rehabilitation. To punish someone, the court must prove
that the offender is fully culpable for the crime so that they can be sentenced and this sentence
must be proportional to the level of crime committed. In today’s society, punishment aims to
rehabilitate and educate the offenders so after incapacitation the former criminal can contribute to
society and their community, whereas previously they resorted to more barbaric methods of
punishment. The offenders against the law will be punished in a retributivist manner which means
that the offender will get their just deserts as they have broken the social contract and gone against
the norms of society this will also deter other people from doing the same crimes when seeing the
original offenders’ punishment. A reductivist approach to punishment would be to deter all
generations from breaking social contracts. Punishment aims to stop people from re-offending,
unfortunately, this doesn’t always work as the rate of reoffending has between gone between a low
of 29% and a high of 32% in 2017. (Webster, Russell, 2019)
In today’s world, reductivism and retributivism punishment are highly necessary due to the fact
they’ve become a part of the law and social norms. When punishment is given it is within the correct
correlation with the crime committed for example a retributive approach towards punishment is Lex
Talonis which means “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life” this means paying back a
debt. (Barbara Hudson, 2003). A Reductivist would believe that the punishment should outweigh the
benefits of the crime committed and the punishment must be rational, fair and just. In today's
society punishment can be justified because it now aims to help rehabilitate offenders by educating
them this would help because it gives them a better chance to gain a job or even go to university
which may have not been an option before they had been punished. Punishment can also deter
others from making the same mistakes as they’ve seen the punishment given to an offender and
would not want the same for themselves. ‘the ultimate justification of punishment is not a deterrent
but that is the empathetic denunciation by the community of a crime.’ (Micheal Cavadino, 2013) By
this quote, it’s meant that maybe the true punishment for a crime is being disliked among your
community and known for that crime which the offender will have over his/her name for the rest of
his/her life.
Punishment has many fair qualities such as sentencing, however punishment has more unfair
qualities. Many offenders are treated the same as one another this is unfair due to the fact one
person could be trying to reform themselves and rehabilitate so when they leave prison, they can
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