Crime and Punishment
- Created by: Hollie Wickens
- Created on: 30-03-14 11:57
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- Crime and Punishment
- Muslim Beliefs
- Muslims believe that Allah is merciful and forgives the sins of those who repent
- Some countries have Shari'ah Law, for example, Saudi Arabia
- Lying about someone is a serious crime - if you lie about someone in a court, the punishment is 80 lashes
- Shari'ah law is based upon four sources: the Qur'an, the Sunnah, the consensus of Islamic scholars and new case law, which has been decided by Shari'ah judges
- Victims of a crime (or their relatives) have a say in the punishment
- Most Muslim countries retain the death penalty for murder
- In some places it is also available if a Muslim converts to another religion or makes statements attacking Islam
- The next of kin of the victim sometimes accepts financial compensation instead of the offender being executed
- In some places it is also available if a Muslim converts to another religion or makes statements attacking Islam
- Punishment in Islamic societies is designed to deter people from breaking the law
- The aim is to ensure that the law is respected and to give the victims satisfaction
- Christian Beliefs
- Normally laws should be obeyed because they are for the good of all
- The Bible says that 'the authorities have been put there by God'
- Sometimes Christians believe governments or laws are unjust and should be challenged
- Christians do not believe punishment is wrong, but many believe punishment should be humane
- For example, prisons should have decent facilities and should aim to reform the criminal
- Christians believe it is important to follow Jesus' example of forgiveness
- Once a punishment has been carried out, forgiveness and a new chance should be given to the criminal
- Jesus said to 'forgive seventy times seven'
- Because of the belief in forgiveness, most Christians oppose capital punishment
- Christians believe it is important to follow Jesus' example of forgiveness
- Once a punishment has been carried out, forgiveness and a new chance should be given to the criminal
- Jesus said to 'forgive seventy times seven'
- The Ten Commandments say 'do not kill'
- Christians believe it is important to follow Jesus' example of forgiveness
- Christians believe that it is important to work towards stopping the causes of crime
- Most Christians do not support the idea of retribution but would support the other main aims of punishment
- Some Christians support capital punishment using the principle of 'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed'
- They see the threat of the death penalty as a deterrent that helps prevent serious crime
- Other Christians doubt whether capital punishment is a deterrent and oppose it because an innocent person might be executed and it removes the possibility of repentance
- They believe that only God has the right to take away life
- Normally laws should be obeyed because they are for the good of all
- Key terms
- Crime: an offence that is punishable by law, e.g. stealing
- Duty: a moral or legal obligation
- Responsibility: a duty to care for or having control over something or someone
- Conscience: the inner feeling you are doing right or wrong
- Forgiveness: showing grace and mercy and pardoning someone for what they have done wrong
- Repentance: being truly sorry and trying to change one's behaviour so as not to do the same again
- Young offender: a person under 18 who has broken the law
- Prison reform: a movement that tries to ensure offenders are treated humanely in prison
- Parole: when a prisoner is released without having completed their sentence, because they have behaved well and accepted their guilt
- The prisoner is monitored to try to ensure that they do not re-offend
- Life imprisonment: a prison sentence that (theoretically) keeps people in prison until they die
- Early release: when a prisoner is allowed out of prison even though they have not completed their sentence, or fulfilled the criteria for getting parole
- Causes of crime
- Social reasons
- Lack of education
- Poor parenting
- Peer pressure
- Paying for drug or alcohol habits
- Excitement
- Environmental reasons
- Poverty
- Unemployment
- Poor housing
- Gang culture
- Psychological reasons
- Mental illness
- Human nature
- Greed
- Violence on TV
- Social reasons
- Aims of punishment
- Protection: keeping the public from being harmed, threatened or injured by criminals
- Deterrence: potential criminals are deterred from committing crimes when they see what happens to offenders
- Reformation: changing someone's behaviour for the better, so they become a useful and law-abiding member of society
- Vindication: showing that the law is upheld, and that it is right and must be respected
- Retribution: revenge
- Reparation: helping an offender put something back into society
- Types of punishment
- Imprisonment: when a person is put in jail for committing a crime
- Advantages of prison
- Society is protected from dangerous and violent criminals
- Retribution - it isolates those who deserve such punishment from their family and friends
- It stops people reoffending, because they are locked away
- It acts as a deterrent to others and ensures that the law is respected
- It gives offenders a chance to reflect on their actions and decide to reform
- Disadvantages of prison
- They are often called 'schools for crime' - prisoners can educate each other in criminal methods
- Prisons often breed resentment, bitterness, and a determination to get back at society
- Most prisoners reoffend on release, so the system does not bring about refom
- A prison record makes it very difficult to get a job on release, which may lead back into crime
- Offenders' families suffer through no fault of their own, e.g. children are deprived of a parent
- Relationships often break down while a person is in prison
- Advantages of prison
- Fine: money paid as punishment for a crime or other offence
- Community service order: unpaid work that an offender performs for the benefit of the local community rather than going to prison
- Suspended sentence: the offender's prison sentence is not carried out so long as they do not offend for the period of the sentence
- Probation: an alternative to prison where an offender has to meet regularly with a probation officer to ensure that they do not re-offend, and movement may be restircted
- Electronic tagging: an offender has to wear an electronic device which tracks their movement to ensure restrictions of movement are observed
- Care order: a young offender is put in the care of social services
- Imprisonment: when a person is put in jail for committing a crime
- Types of crime
- Muslim Beliefs
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