You are a judge considering the sentences of several convicted offenders. The first offender has been found guilty of burglary and larceny for the third time. The report tells you that the offender's previous sentences were probation for the first offense and 14 days in jail for the second. You determine that the offender has not learned his lesson after the first two convictions, and you intend to send him a message with this sentence. Accordingly, you sentence him to the maximum allowed under the guidelines. Because you imposed this long sentence to try to teach this individual a lesson, so that he will not choose to offend again in the future, your sentence is an attempt at:
A)general deterrence.
B)specific deterrence.
C)rehabilitation.
D)incapacitation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Specific deterrence aims to prevent an individual offender from committing future crimes by imposing a punishment severe enough to deter them. In this case, sentencing the offender to the maximum allowed is an attempt to specifically deter them from reoffending.

You Are a Judge Considering the Sentences of Several Convicted