Spec 2

• law breakers should be punished fairly and with compassion/the most loving aim of punishment should be to reform the offender through their punishment/offenders should be helped to discourage them from committing further offences, etc
• the reason for them breaking the law should be taken into account when punishment is determined/eg motivation to help others/protest against an unjust law, etc
• offenders need to be punished as a retribution/offenders should be made an example of to deter others and protect society, etc

Christianity
Law breakers should be forgiven and given a second chance but they need to be punished as well during which time they are helped to reform/‘A man reaps what he sows’ (Galatians)/Christians should work with people to discourage reoffending/although poverty cannot be used as an excuse for breaking the law reducing poverty and bad social conditions may prevent law breaking/law breakers should be encouraged and helped to repent leading to forgiveness/reparation can
help a person to repent, etc. 

Judaism
Obeying the law is important because it is based on religious law including the Ten Commandments/punishment is considered to be a deterrent/offenders are encouraged to repent, seek forgiveness and reform/punishment should be proportional to help offenders, etc.

2022

It acts as a deterrent / protects society from serious criminals / if in prison the offender is unable to continue the life of crime / gives the criminal time to reflect on their actions / imposes loss of liberty and freedom / may provide education and training / may help to reform the prisoner / God being seen as a God of justice requires punishment which could include imprisonment, etc. 

2018

Religious people have different beliefs about the aims of punishment, eg. retribution, deterrence, reformation / community service is an alternative to prison preventing people mixing with criminals who have committed worse crimes / can provide opportunities for atonement / suitable for offences such as vandalism, benefit fraud or minor assaults/ where relatively minor crimes have been committed it helps communities eg with damage repaired or expertise shared (payback) / suitable
for offenders that it is designed to reform / positive as it prevents separation from  families unlike prison / doesn’t lead to loss of jobs which is a major problem for prisoners on their release / less reoffend than those who serve a prison sentence / cheaper to administer.  Some say that the punishment is too soft / doesn’t bring reform that a tougher punishment might / as criminals are not locked up they may continue with further crime / schemes not always well run, etc. 

Christianity
Reformation is considered the most important criterion in deciding punishment / community service offers offenders a chance to make up for what they have done and receive help in reforming their behaviour / suitable for minor offences, etc.

Judaism
The aim of community service is to payback the community with unpaid work/ and to reform which is supported/ seen as a suitable punishment for minor offences, etc.

2020

Provides a deterrent and reducing crime is a good thing / teaches an offender a lesson so that they won’t reoffend, etc.
Seen as degrading of human dignity / parents physically punishing children / against UK law which religious believers encourage followers to obey / there are other better ways to treat offenders / it is a breach of human rights / causes physical and emotional harm / used to be used in schools, etc.

Christianity
Some Christians support corporal punishment as they believe in the importance of discipline / ‘He who spares the rod hates their children but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them’ Proverbs 13 : 24.

Many Christians oppose corporal punishment as they focus on positive sanctions that help offenders to see the error of their ways and reform / it doesn’t treat people with respect, etc.

Judaism
Although the Torah and Talmud both allow for corporal punishment (up to 40 lashes) it doesn’t happen in Jewish practice today / ‘He who spares the rod hates their children but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them’ Proverbs 13 : 24 / most Jews would not use physical punishment in teaching children right from wrong / the focus is on helping offenders realise the error of their ways, etc.

Spec 1

Arguments in support
• it destroys the innate dignity of human beings that is given to them by God
• many atheists and humanists, as well as religious believers, would claim that it creates a society in which violence is not only accepted but actually encouraged
• it destroys one of the basic human rights of integrity of the body
• it encourages resentment and a desire for revenge against society on the part of the offender
• its effects on the person carrying out the punishment are negative/it desensitises the person and encourages a lack of compassion
• utilitarians (eg Mill) who focus on the individual as well as society and on the quality of the pleasure could never justify it.

Arguments in support of other views
• corporal punishment is a cheap way of punishing effectively
• it is quickly administered/allows the convicted person to resume a normal life speedily
• depending on the form of the punishment, it could have no long term negative effects/only the criminal suffers, not the rest of society which has to pay heavy taxes to maintain prisons etc
• the principle of utility might be used to argue that if harsh punishment of one person deterred countless others and so protected society from future harm, it could be justified.

Christianity
Most are opposed to the Old Testament teaching of ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ (Proverbs 13:24)/does not reflect Christian love/‘those who live by the sword die by the sword’ (Matthew 26:52) points to the negative effects of violence/rejection by many of retribution as a valid aim of punishment/a minority of fundamentalist Christians might see corporal punishment as justified by Old Testament teachings.

Judaism
The emphasis is on people judging themselves rather than on punishment/the Torah allowed for it but with strong restrictions/‘It shall be that when the convicted person deserves to be beaten … Forty lashes he may be given, but no more … then shall your brother be dishonoured in your sight.’ (Deuteronomy 25:2–3)/‘Whoever spares the
rod hates his son but if you love him, you will chasten him at an early  age’ (Proverbs 13:24)/the Talmud does not support corporal punishment and modern Judaism interprets ‘rod’ metaphorically/ preference for reparation and reformation.

2021

Arguments in support
• It destroys the innate dignity of human beings that is given to them by God.
• Many atheists and humanists, as well as religious believers, would claim that it creates a society in which violence is not only accepted but actually encouraged.
• It destroys one of the basic human rights of integrity of the body.
• It encourages resentment and a desire for revenge against society on the part of the offender.
• Its effects on the person carrying out the punishment are negative / it desensitises the person and encourages a lack of compassion.
• Utilitarians (eg Mill) who focus on the individual as well as society and on the quality of the pleasure could never agree with it, etc.

Arguments in support of other views
• Corporal punishment is a cheap way of punishing effectively.
• It is quickly administered / allows the convicted person to resume a normal life speedily.
• Depending on the form of the punishment, it could have no long-term negative effects / only the criminal suffers, not the rest of society which has to pay heavy taxes to maintain prisons.
• The principle of utility might be used to argue that if harsh punishment of one person deterred countless others and so protected society from future harm, it could be supported by religious believers, etc.

Christianity
Most Christians are opposed to the Old Testament teaching of ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ (Proverbs 13:24) / it does not reflect Christian love / ‘those who live by the sword die by the sword’ (Matthew 26:52) points to the negative effects of violence / rejection by many of retribution as a valid aim of punishment / a minority of fundamentalist Christians might see corporal punishment as possible because of Old Testament teachings, etc.

Judaism
The emphasis is on people judging themselves rather than on punishment / the Torah allowed for it but with strong restrictions / ‘It shall be that when the convicted person deserves to be beaten … Forty lashes he may be given, but no more … then shall your brother be dishonoured in your sight.’ (Deuteronomy 25:2–3) / ‘Whoever spares the rod hates his son but if you love him, you will chasten him at an early age’ (Proverbs 13:24) / the Talmud does not support corporal punishment and modern Judaism interprets ‘rod’ metaphorically / Jews prefer reparation and reformation, etc.

2019

Arguments in support
• Prison provides society with protection from those who have committed dangerous and serious crimes and ensures that the law is respected.
• A prison sentence gives offenders a chance to reflect on their actions and decide to reform.
• Prisons contain some troubled individuals who need social help, education, medical help, work and life skills and attempts to provide this can be found in the prison system.
• Prisoners can attend classes to improve their education and skills which prepares them for the outside world.
• Opportunities are given to talk through their problems and realise their mistakes and learn strategies for coping with life’s problems in a constructive way, etc.

Arguments in support of other views
• Prison isolates those who deserve punishment from their families and friends (retribution) but doesn’t reform them.
• Being locked up often breeds resentment, bitterness and a determination to get back at society.
• Many prisons have problems such as over-crowding, little exercise, poor diet, boredom, violence and drug-abuse.
• Imprisonment punishes the family as well as the criminal.
• There is a high rate of reoffending when criminals are let back out into society as they are often called ‘schools for crime’ as prisoners educate each other in criminal methods.
• A prison record makes it very difficult to get a job on release, which may lead back into crime
• Other forms of punishment may be more suitable when considering the offender and/or their offence, eg community service, etc.

Christianity
Christians support the idea of constructive work and education so that inmates can learn worthwhile skills in prison / they believe in medical programmes to help prisoners overcome drug and alcohol addiction / they may take their inspiration from the Parable of the Sheep and Goats – Matthew 25:31–46 / they believe that offenders should be helped to change their ways once the punishment is over so that they don’t reoffend / Christian chaplains regularly visit inmates and help them to change, etc.

Judaism
Treatment of offenders must be just and fair and prisons need a focus on reform / the Torah makes no mention of imprisonment, preferring monetary compensation / but most Jews support the use of prisons for serious crimes even though it isn’t mentioned in the Ten Commandments / it gives prisoners the opportunity to reflect on their actions, realise what they have done wrong and become determined not to reoffend / being put in prison may help to bring remorse for the past and resolutions to do better in the future / Judaism considers it important for offenders to have the opportunity to atone for their crimes / Jewish rabbis and rabbinical students visit and counsel prisoners, etc