Crime and Punishment.

[cz75fan]

I was poking around on an older forum post where someone addressed the lack of crime in Jordan. The post was several years old and it encouraged me to do some fact checking.

Leading down the pat I found the following from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_r...#Death_penalty

Amendments to the Penal Code have reduced the number of capital offenses. State security, smuggling, arson resulting in death, and inciting armed riot cases are no longer capital crimes. In March 2010, the Justice Minister announced that the crime of rape may cease to be a capital offense. In the future it is possible that the death penalty will be limited to cases of murder.

I've read several articles both for and against capital punishment over the years. I've also seen claims that, in the USA at least, social changes brought criminal code changes which lessened the effectiveness of capital punishment and potentially increased crime.

I know not ever country is the same, and the idea of what works in one country doesn't mean that it will automatically work in another, but I'm curious about thoughts on corporal punishment vs capital punishment vs imprisonment. (Not sure exactly where Fines typically fall under) I remember the "horror" other Americans had over the Singapore public caning of the kid who got busted vandalizing cars. At the same time, I remember my father stating "Good, maybe we should take up a similar mantle."

There are many who claim that an increased level of punishment, ie capital for various crimes, only increases the violence level of a criminal in the hopes of not getting caught. I don't know if I personally believe this since crime seems to be fairly universal everywhere while punishments vary, but I suppose there could be legitimacy for a percentage of criminals, though hard to believe EVERY criminal would follow the same pattern.

Anyway, what are your thoughts? I'm curious what punishment for crimes people in other countries feel are very effective and which ones are not for crimes and or which they would prefer to see and or change.

[Rocko9]

I'd do public hangings instead of lethal injection. I also wouldn't make spanking shameful, I was spanked as a kid and growing up, people always told my parents how much better behaved I was than other kids. I will say that I probably only got 25% of what I deserved Things like public humiliation (like for theft, vandalism etc) I would also do. If it hurts your ego, you shouldn't have done it or been smart enough to not get caught.

[ptwonline]

Punishment levels do not really deter crime unless the punishment is extremely disproportional to the crime. For example, if stealing a candy bar meant having your hand chopped off, I suspect candy bar thefts would plummet.

For more serious crimes I suspect that the punishments--several years in jail typically, but in some cases also the tremendous notoriety and damaged reputation like for a sex crime--are severe enough that making them worse would not likely deter people. For example, think of the pedophiles who get caught. They know their lives are ruined even after their jail time. And look at some of these shooters who then kill themselves. They either don't fear the punishment or else fear it so much they'll die instead...but they'll still commit the crime.