Critically evaluate the main objectives of the sanctions of criminal courts and then appraise their effectiveness with particular reference to prison sentences and consider whether alternative forms of punishment might be more appropriate. Introduction The most basic tenets of organized societies are sanctions, which are imposed on individuals who go against the norms and values that have been put in place by their society. Throughout human history, there have developed many forms of sanctions with a significant number of societies seeking means to ensure that there are deterrents to those who have either committed crimes or have the potential of doing so. Among the most common types of punishments that were a basic part of the system of sanctions …show more content…
Most sanctions have been developed not only to ensure that the individual involved is deterred from committing any more offenses, but also because it is the right thing to do (Baer 2012, p.577). This is especially the case in situations where the actions of an individual have the potential of leading to this person’s harm. In order to ensure that this individual does not cause harm to himself, the authorities have the mandate to take him into custody so that he can be away from any situation where he can bring harm to himself or others. Such is the case where an individual is found driving a vehicle when intoxicated because such a person is a danger to the rest of society. The ability of countries to deal with new threats, especially terrorism, using sanctions has come to be questioned (Hunt, 2007, 441). This is because for the most part, sanctions tend to reflect the societal norms of the countries which impose them. The current legal system tends to seek to restrict the application of sanctions to the state in a bid to make sure that sanctions are not made arbitrarily or in a manner that is