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Models for Criminals

Essay by   •  September 11, 2011  •  Essay  •  1,088 Words (5 Pages)  •  1,381 Views

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There are different models set to incarcerate and rehabilitate inmates. Models are used for imposing criminal sanctions. The majority of sentences placed in court follow administrative and legislative guidelines. There are many different models such as medical model, the rehabilitation model, the justice or due process model, the just deserts model, and the community model. These models are out into place to keep offenders from continuously committing crimes and to punish those who choose to do so. These models can also associate with probation.

Just Deserts is where criminals get the punishment that fits the crime. Just deserts doesn't only refer to bad punishment. The idea of this model is based upon consequences of an offender's action whether they are good or bad. Just desert is also known as retributive justice which states that everyone should get what they deserve. The concept of just deserts has been around since the 13th century when it was used by the English. There is a quote from a book written in 1599 called Warning Faire Women states "Upon a pillory - that all the world may see, A just desert for such impiety." In simple terms just desert is treating the offenders the way they treat others. It can also be put in a biblical since of the command "do onto others, what you want others to do onto you." Merit and desert is the idea of retributive justice. Those who work hard get what they sow and people who violate rules will be punished. Immanuel Kant breaks down just deserts as someone who wants the benefits of law without having to follow it. This type of person is typically called a free rider. But those who receive benefits unfairly than it is the role of the government to impose the law. The main idea of just deserts is where one does something to gain an unfair advantage over a victim and a punishment is put into place to restore the balance of justice. Just desert is the heart of a lot of legal proceedings that affect war crimes, international laws, and human rights. One of the penalties for receiving retributive justice is where the one who did the wrong doing loses certain benefits while someone follows the rules can only gain benefits (Cuizon).

Rehabilitation is based on the concept of criminal behavior being caused by some factor. Through this perspective it looked at that criminal behavior is not always caused by free will. Sometime a person's social settings, biological makeup, and psychological development may play a factor as to why they feel into a life of crime. Some people are classified as criminogenic risk factors. These people have ran into situations such as no parental love or supervision, the internalization of antisocial values, exposure to delinquent peers, and impulsive temperament that cause people to fall into these factor groups. This model only works if this criminal activity was motivated and not of free will. If the criminal activity was of free choice then there would be nothing to fix or change. Now if the crime was motivated then it may have a chance of being fixed through correctional intervention. Now for example let's say if a younger person was associated with delinquent peers and they told him it was ok to steal than possible diverting the youthful mind to more responsible peers and

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