Lesson video

Hello and welcome to today's lesson.

I'm so pleased that you're going to join me.

My name's Mrs. Rawbone, and I'm going to be your RE teacher today.

In today's lesson, you will be able to explain the different aims of punishment and how religious and non-religious beliefs influence views about which aims matter most.

Keywords we'll be using today are "deterrence," "justice," "protection," "reformation," and "retribution." Deterrence is the threat of punishment as a way to put a person off committing crime.

Justice is ensuring fairness by responding to crimes in a way that holds the offender properly accountable.

Protection is a legal measure aimed at preserving others' rights and freedoms by removing or restricting those who pose a risk.

Reformation is helping the criminal understand why their behaviour was wrong, with the goal of changing their mindset and actions.

And retribution is getting the criminal back for their crimes by giving a punishment as payback or revenge for wrongdoing.

Today's lesson will form two parts.

We'll be looking at the aims of punishment and at responses to the aims of punishment.

So let's get started on the aims of punishment.

Andeep and Aisha are discussing who punishment is for.

Andeep says, "When someone commits a crime, is the punishment meant just for them or for society as a whole?" Aisha says, "I think it's mainly for them to make them accountable for what they did and to help them to change." Andeep says, "But doesn't it also benefit society? It keeps people safe from harm, discourages crime, and helps ensure fair treatment for everyone." So why might someone think that punishment is about both the person committing the crime and the rest of society? Take a moment, pause the video, turn and talk to someone nearby if you can, or you can talk to me, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Punishment is about both the offender and those in wider society who are affected by crime.

So when it focuses on the offender, punishment is about delivering consequences for their actions, encouraging them to change, and potentially offering them a chance for rehabilitation.

When it focuses on society, it's about protecting the public, deterring future crime, and upholding justice for victims and society.

Andeep, Sofia, Lucas, Jun, and Aisha are discussing why they think punishment for crime is important.

Andeep says, "I think knowing you could go to prison might stop you committing a crime." Sofia says, "I think dangerous people should be kept away to keep others safe." Lucas says, "I think punishment should be fair and match the crime." Aisha says, "I think people should be helped to understand and change their behaviour." Jun says, "I think if you do wrong, you deserve to pay for it." So why might people have different ideas about why punishment is important? If you can, turn and talk to someone nearby, please do, pause the video, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Jun and Aisha are talking about aims of punishment, which focus on the offender.

Jun says, "I think if you do wrong, you deserve to pay for it." And Aisha says, "I think people should be helped to understand and change their behaviour." So Jun is talking about retribution.

He's saying an offender should be punished because they deserve it.

Retribution is about getting the criminal back for their crimes by giving a punishment as payback or revenge for the wrongdoing.

Aisha is talking about reformation.

She's saying an offender should get help so that they can change.

Reformation is about helping the criminal understand why their behaviour was wrong, with the goal of changing their mindset and actions.

There are positives and negatives to focusing punishment on the offender.

A positive is that reformation can reduce re-offending by helping the offender understand their actions and make positive changes.

Retribution gives the offender a punishment that they deserve, holding them personally accountable and responsible for their behaviour.

On the other hand, reformation may be seen as too soft.

It may not satisfy victims or the public's sense of justice.

Also, focusing on retribution may not reduce crime or help the offender improve, as it is more about payback than change.

So, which of the following best shows the aim of retribution? Is it A, giving an offender counselling to change their behaviour? B, giving a punishment that makes the offender suffer for what they've done? C, removing a dangerous person from society? Or D, helping victims understand why the crime happened? So pause if you need to, jot down your answer, and then come back when you're ready to check.

So, well done if you put B, giving a punishment that makes the offender suffer for what they have done.

Andeep, Sofia, and Lucas are talking about aims of punishment, which focus on society.

Andeep said, "I think knowing you could go to prison might stop you committing a crime." Sofia said, "I think dangerous people should be kept away to keep others safe." And Lucas said, "I think punishment should be fair and match the crime." Andeep is talking about deterrence.

He's saying that punishment can reduce crime, which has a positive impact on society.

Deterrence is about the threat of punishment as a way to put a person off committing crime.

Sofia is talking about protection.

She's saying that punishment removes offenders from society, which keeps others safe.

Protection is about using punishment as a legal measure aimed at preserving other people's rights and freedoms by removing or restricting those who pose a risk.

Lucas is talking about justice.

He's saying that punishment shows the offender's actions were wrong and gives victims a fair outcome.

Justice is about ensuring fairness by responding to crimes in a way that holds the offender properly accountable.

There are positives and negatives to focusing punishment on society.

A positive of deterrence is that it can reduce crime by discouraging people from offending.

Justice gives the public confidence that the law is being applied fairly.

Protection keeps society safe by removing dangerous individuals.

But on the other hand, a negative of deterrence is that keeping someone away does not address the reasons why they commit the crime.

With justice, focusing too much on consistency and fairness might ignore the personal needs of the individual, perhaps the person who committed the crime.

And protection can lead to strict measures that isolate offenders but don't deal with the causes of their behaviour.

What is deterrence as an aim of punishment? Pause the video so that you've time to write down your answer, and then come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

Well done if you said something along the lines of: The threat of punishment as a way to put a person off committing crime.

For task A, for each aim of punishment, I'd like you to explain whether it applies in this case.

A 20-year-old was caught breaking into a local electronic shop late at night and stealing several valuable items. It was their first offence.

In court, it was revealed that they had recently left education and were in financial difficulty.

The sentence included 100 hours of community service, participation in a rehabilitation programme, and an order to pay compensation to the shop owner.

So you need to think about the five aims we've considered today: deterrence, justice, protection, reformation, and retribution.

So, take your time, think carefully about whether each of those is achieved with the punishment given to this particular offender.

Come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said for deterrence: Deterrence is shown because the person has to do community service and pay money back, which might make them or others think twice before doing something similar.

Justice is shown because the punishment fits the crime and takes their situation into account, and the shop gets paid back for what was stolen.

Protection is not really shown because the person isn't being locked up or stopped from being around others; they're still in the community.

Reformation is shown because they're going to a programme that's meant to help them change and not commit crimes in the future.

Retribution is shown a bit because they have to face consequences for what they did, but the punishment isn't harsh or focused on making them suffer.

So, well done if you spotted how those aims of punishment linked to that particular example.

For the second part of our lesson, we'll be looking at responses to the aims of punishment.

Someone's view on which aims of punishment matter could be influenced by a number of factors: Religious beliefs, a moral worldview, personal experiences, their role in society, beliefs about human nature, their view of justice, and there are many more things that could influence them.

Christian attitudes to the aims of punishment are informed by different sources of authority, including the Bible, Church teachings, the example of other Christians, Christian ethical theories such as Natural Law and situation ethics, their conscience and ability to reason.

They may interpret the sources differently or emphasise one more than another.

Christians use the Bible as a source of wisdom and authority on the aims of punishment.

Deuteronomy 13:11 says, "Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again." This shows punishment acting as a warning to others, supporting the aim of deterrence.

Amos 5:24 says, "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream." This supports justice by showing that God wants consistent and fair treatment for all.

"Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked," Psalm 82:4.

This supports protection by showing that the vulnerable must be kept safe.

Ezekiel 33:11: "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live." This supports reformation by showing that God wants people to change their behaviour.

Exodus 21:24: "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." This supports retribution, suggesting that punishment should act as payback for the harm caused.

So let's check your understanding.

What is the missing word? The quotation "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live," Ezekiel 33:11, supports reformation because it shows that God wants offenders to _____ their behaviour and live differently.

Pause if you need to, jot down what you think the missing word is, and then come back when you're ready to check.

Well done if you put "change." The views of different churches on the aims of punishment are grounded in a belief in the dignity and value of all human beings.

Aims that focus on the offender: reformation.

While the Catholic Church in Catechism 2266 says that punishment should aim at the "correction of the offender," and so reformation is an important aim of punishment.

The Church of England also agrees in "A Place of Redemption" in 2004.

It said justice should help offenders reform and rejoin society as responsible citizens.

In "Punishment and Prison" from the year 2000, the Methodist Church says that reformation is important.

It promotes reform through education and pastoral support.

Looking at retribution, the Catholic Church teaches that retribution is wrong, as punishment must redress the disorder caused by the offence and not focus on revenge.

The Church of England agrees retribution is wrong.

It's making the offender suffer, and this is not a valid aim of punishment.

And the Methodist Church also agrees.

Retribution is wrong, as punishment should never aim to make the offender suffer or seek revenge.

Looking at aims that focus on society.

Deterrence.

Well, the Catholic Church allows it if it protects others.

And the Church of England accepts it but argues it shouldn't justify harsh treatment.

The Methodist Church has some doubts because it risks treating people as examples rather than individuals.

Justice.

Well, the Catholic Church agrees this is an important factor in punishment.

Punishment should "redress the disorder caused." The Church of England also agrees, but justice should rebuild what was broken.

The Methodist Church agrees too.

Justice should promote dignity and involve restoration.

Protection.

The Catholic Church does agree that punishment should protect people's safety.

And the Church of England also accepts it, but discourages long-term exclusion from society.

The Methodist Church also accepts that it might be needed, but it should never exclude reformation.

So, which aim of punishment is rejected by the Catholic Church, the Church of England, and the Methodist Church because it focuses on payback rather than reformation? Take a moment, have a think about your answer, pause if you need to, and then come back when you're ready to check.

Well done if you noticed that it is retribution that all of those churches reject.

Jun is asking people about their views on the statement: "Reformation is the most important aim of punishment." Jun says, "I think if you do wrong, you deserve to pay for it, and so retribution matters more than reformation.

It's a good outcome of punishment if an offender changes their ways, but it shouldn't be the aim of punishment.

Do you agree?" Father Gerald says, "I disagree.

As a Catholic chaplain, I've worked with offenders who have made real efforts to change their behaviour.

Christian teaching puts a strong emphasis on forgiveness and the dignity of every person.

Reformation isn't just a bonus, it's a way of showing people that they are not beyond hope." Frank is also thinking about Jun's point of view.

He says, "I also disagree.

In my work as a restorative justice practitioner, I've seen how powerful it is when people are given the chance to make things right.

I believe God calls us to show mercy and offer the chance to grow.

Retribution just leaves people stuck in the past." Faye is also responding to Jun's point that reformation should not be the main aim of punishment.

She says, "I agree, reformation should not be the main aim of punishment, but I don't think retribution should be either.

As someone who puts utilitarianism into practise, I think the goal should be to reduce overall suffering.

A punishment creates the greatest benefit for the greatest number because it deters people from crime.

Reformation matters, but only if it reduces crime." Neil says, "As a barrister, I believe justice should be the central aim of punishment.

The system must hold people properly accountable for their actions in a fair and balanced way.

From a humanist perspective, justice means respecting everyone's rights and ensuring punishments are neither excessive nor degrading.

It is about fairness and not revenge." Jun says, "I'm beginning to wonder whether one aim of punishment can really be more important than another, as they all seem to be connected." So why might someone argue that the aims of punishment are as important as each other? Take a moment, pause the video, turn and talk to someone nearby, or you can talk to me, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Let's check your understanding.

Is this statement true or false: Different people may prioritise different aims of punishment depending on their beliefs or roles in society? Pause the video.

Have a think about your answer, but also think about why.

Come back when you're ready to check it.

Well done if you put "true." But why is it true? Well, it's true because people value different things.

Their beliefs, experiences, or roles affect which aim of punishment they think matters most.

For part one of your task, Father Gerald and Faye are discussing the statement, "Reformation is the most important aim of punishment." I'd like you to explain how each of them might develop their points.

Father Gerald, if you remember, is a prison chaplain.

He says, "Reformation is most important because it treats the offender as.

." Faye uses utilitarianism to form her thinking, and she's also an atheist.

She says, "Deterrence matters more because.

." So pause the video.

Take your time to think about how each of their points might develop and add some explanation in.

Come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said for Father Gerald, "Reformation is most important because it treats the offender as someone who can grow and change.

Christian teaching puts a strong focus on forgiveness and human dignity.

If someone takes responsibility for what they've done and makes real changes, that should be supported.

Punishment should be a chance to turn a life around, not just cause more harm." And for Faye: "Deterrence matters more because it helps prevent future crimes." You could have said for the development: "If a punishment makes others think twice before committing a crime, it reduces suffering.

Reformation is not enough on its own.

Punishment has to prevent crime, too.

From a utilitarian view, punishment is justified if it reduces overall suffering and increases happiness by deterring future offences and protecting the community." So well done if you managed to explain and develop each of those contrasting points.

For part two of the task, Jun's teacher has asked him to write a conclusion to his evaluation of the statement: "Reformation is the most important aim of punishment." I'd like you to use the guidance to help him finish his conclusion.

Jun has said: "Punishment is a complicated issue because.

Retribution is clearly the most important aim, as it.

The argument for reformation as the main aim is unconvincing because it.

And ultimately, punishment should focus on.

." So the things that Jun is trying to do here is to recognise the complexity of the issue, to explain his strongest reason supporting his position, to explain why other reasons are not convincing, and to provide a clear and final judgement.

So use his sentences to help you follow that guidance through and develop his conclusion.

Take your time, pause the video, come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said: Punishment is a complicated issue because it involves several aims, such as retribution, reformation, deterrence, justice, and protection, which can sometimes conflict.

Retribution is clearly the most important aim, as it ensures offenders face clear consequences, maintaining fairness and accountability in society.

The argument for reformation as the main aim is unconvincing because it assumes offenders are willing or able to change and risks a lack of proper consequences.

Ultimately, punishment should focus on holding offenders responsible for their actions and not on reformation.

So well done if you managed to use Jun's starting points to develop a possible conclusion to an evaluation of that statement.

Of course, your view might be quite different, so you might want to go away and practise writing a conclusion that reflects your view on the issue of which aim of punishment is most important.

In today's lesson, you have learned that punishment can target the offender directly or aim to benefit others, including society and victims. That retribution focuses on punishing the offender fairly while reformation seeks to change their behaviour.

That protection, deterrence, and justice aim to prevent harm, discourage crime, and maintain fairness in society.

That non-religious views often prioritise reducing harm, protecting society, and respecting individual dignity.

And that Christian views emphasise justice, mercy, and the opportunity for forgiveness and reformation.

Thank you very much for working with me today on this lesson.

I really appreciate your efforts.