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Consequences And Deterrence

408 Words2 Pages
The effectiveness of criminal consequences can only act as a deterrent if the population they target is aware of its risks and consequences.

A problem in evaluating deterrence is that in order for criminal sanctions to act as deterrents, potential offenders must be aware of the risks and consequences before they commit the crime. The severity of punishment may influence behavior if potential offenders consider the consequences of their actions and determine that the risks of punishment will be too severe.
If there was 100% certainty of being arrested for committing a crime, few people would do so. But most crimes do not result in an arrest and incarceration, therefore the overall deterrent effect of the certainty of punishment is considerably
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