Crime And Punishment

Question 1

What is crime?

Answer 1

A legal word that describes when an action breaks a law made my people like the government.

Question 2

What is Sin

Answer 2

Acting against the will or laws of God

Question 3

Evidence of crime in the bible

Answer 3

“Do not kill” TC

Question 4

Why do we have punishments?

Answer 4

If a society has laws, it must also have punishments for those who break them.
They try to make sure everyone follows the law.

Question 5

Why do we punish criminals?

Answer 5

Different people think that we need to punish criminals for different reasons.
Some say that criminals can be reformed or changed through the punishment they have been given.
Other believe that the point in punishing someone is to simply protect society from dangerous people.

Question 6

What is retribution?

Answer 6

The punishment a person receives should be equal to the crime they have committed e.g death penalty is a retribution for murder.

Question 7

Strengths of retribution

Answer 7

Equal and fair to the crime. It is consistent with “life for life, eye for an eye” in exodus.

Question 8

Weaknesses of retribution

Answer 8

If taking a life is wrong, then surely it is wrong to use it as a punishment- hypocritical.

Question 9

Quote for retribution

Answer 9

“Whoever sheds the blood of a human !6 a human shall that person’s blood be shed: for in his own image God made mankind” Genesis.

“Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth”

Question 10

What is deterrence?

Answer 10

Aims to put people off committing crimes. Someone is given a harsh sentence to put them off offending gain or to put others off.

Question 11

Strengths of deterrence

Answer 11

It may prevent people from engaging in criminal activity

Question 12

Weaknesses of deterrence

Answer 12

Harsher punishments may not necessarily put others off from offending or reoffending. It may also be impossible to stop someone from breaking the law - if they suffer from mental illness.

Question 13

What is deterrence?

Answer 13

Designed to help criminals to make positive change in their lives so they can move on from committing crimes . E.g educating someone in prison.

Question 14

Evidence of rehabilitation

Answer 14

“Love thy neighbour” - The Gospels

Question 15

Strengths of rehab

Answer 15

Compassionate response recognising that people who have done something wrong need to turn their lives around.
Consistent with the Christian believe that all people are made in image deity and should be treated with respect and dignity

Question 16

Weaknesses of crime and punishment

Answer 16

Not enough to fix the problems that many criminals faced in their childhood.
Not sufficient enough for someone who has done wrong - have capacity to do it again.

Question 17

How can this change someone’s life (rehabilitation)?

Answer 17

People will campaign for prison life to include education programmes so people gain the qualifications whilst serving their sentence, leaving prison to make a positive contribution to society.