Unit 24 Punishment

Before you read

Discuss these questions.

1. In your opinion, what does ‘punishment’ mean?

2. What kinds of punishment do you know?

3. Do you agree that punishment should fit the crime?

Text A

Punishment describes the imposition by some authority of a deprivation – usually painful – on a person who has violated a law, a rule, or other norm. When the violation is of the criminal law of society there is a formal process of accusation and proof followed by imposition of sentence by a designated official, usually a judge. Informally, and organized group – most typically the family, may punish perceived wrongdoers.

Because punishment is both painful and guilt producing, its application calls for a justification. In Western culture, four basic justifications have been given: retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and incapacitation.

Most penal historians note a gradual trend over the last centuries toward more lenient sentences in Western countries. Capital and corporal punishment, widespread in the early 19th century, are seldom invoked by contemporary society. Indeed, in the United States corporal punishment as such appears to be contrary to the 8th Amendment’s restrictions on cruel and unusual punishment. Yet the rate of imprisonment in the United States appears to be growing. Furthermore, since the middle of the 20th century, popular and professional sentiment has taken a distinctly punitive turn and now tends to see retribution and incapacitation – rather than rehabilitation – as the goals of criminal punishment.

Any criminal punishment is always a restriction of the rights of convicted persons. This restriction is a sort of retribution for the crime a person committed. If a person is convicted, the court decides on the most appropriate sentence. The facts of the offence, the circumstances of the offender, his/her previous convictions are taken into account. The more serious an offence is, the stricter a penalty should be.

Criminal sentences ordinarily embrace four basic modes of punishment. In descending order of severity these are: incarceration, community supervision, fine, and restitution. The death penalty is now possible only for certain types of atrocious murders and treason. There are quite a lot of countries where death penalty is prohibited.

Punishment is an ancient practice whose presence in modern cultures may appear to be out of place because it purposefully inflicts pain. In the minds of most people, however, it continues to find justification.

Vocabulary

accusation and proof v обвинение и доказательство

atrocious murder n зверское / жестокое убийство

community supervision n надзор государства; общественный надзор

convicted person n осужденный

deprivation n лишение

designated official n назначенное лицо

deterrence n 1 удерживание от совершения действий устрашением; 2

средство удерживания (устрашением) от совершения действий; crime

deterrence n удерживание устрашением от совершения преступления

fine n штраф; v налагать штраф

guilt producing представляющий вину

imposition n установление; назначение; imposition of sentence n

вынесение приговора; назначение наказания

imprisonment n 1 тюремное заключение; 2 лишение свободы

incapacitation n ограничение права и / или дееспособности

incarceration n лишение свободы; заключение в тюрьму

inflict v 1 наносить (вред) 2 назначать (наказание); inflict pain

причинять боль; inflict capital punishment / death penalty

назначить смертную казнь

invoke v применять (норму, статью, прецедент)

justification n 1 оправдание; 2 подтверждение; основание

lenient sentence n syn mild sentence n мягкий приговор; мягкое

наказание

modes of punishment способы / формы / методы наказания

penal adj карательный; уголовный; penal historians историки по

уголовным делам

penalty n 1 наказание; 2 штраф; взыскание; death penalty смертная

казнь; syn capital punishment

perceived adj убежденный, сознательный

punishment n наказание; capital punishment смертная казнь syn death

penalty; corporal punishment телесное наказание

purposefully adv умышленно, преднамеренно

rehabilitation n реабилитация

restitution n восстановление первоначального положения; реституция

retribution n кара

sentiment n отношение; мнение; чувство

take into account принять во внимание

wrongdoer n правонарушитель, преступник

Reading tasks

Answer these questions.

1. What is the purpose of punishment?

2. What are four basic justifications in Western culture?

3. What is a gradual trend toward sentences in Western countries?

4. Do you think mild sentences are a sign of a civilized society?

5. What is criminal punishment?

6. What crimes should be punished by imprisonment?

7. Do you think imprisonment is the right method to help a criminal go straight? Prove your opinion.

8. What qualities can a person get rid of in prison (if any)?

9. If you were in prison, what wouldn’t you be able to get used to?

10. Do scenes of violence in films encourage crime?

11. Does legalized selling of firearms stimulate murder?

12. Does legalized selling of firearms ensure security?

13. Is death penalty a deterrent to murder?

Language focus

at behind in instead of into like under with

A Use the prepositions in the box to fill the gaps.