What is the purpose of punishment? One purpose is obviously to reform the offender, to correct the offender's moral attitudes and anti-social behaviour and to rehabilitate 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. In other words, don't we feel that a wrongdoer should suffer for his misdeeds? The form of punishment should also be considered. On the one hand, some believe that we should “make the punishment fit the crime” . Those who steal from others should be deprived of their own property to ensure that criminals are left in no doubt that crime doesn't pay . For those who attack others corporal punishment should be used. Murderers should be subject to the principle “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” and automatically receive the death penalty . On the other hand, it is said that such views are unreasonable, cruel and berbaric and that we should show a more humane attitude to punishment and try to understand why a person commits a crime and how society has failed to enable him to live a respectable, law-abiding life.
