Purposes of State Punishment

THE PURPOSE OF STATE PUHISHMENT One purpose is obviously to rehabilitate the offender,

to correct the offender's moral attitudes and anti-social behaviour and to reform him or her,

which means to assist the offender to return to normal life as a useful member of the community.

Punishment can also be seen as a deterrent because it warns other people of what will happen

if they are tempted to break the law and prevents them from doing so. However,

the third purpose of punishment lies, perhaps, in society's desire for retribution

,which basically means revenge