punishment involving the criminal doing a set number of hours of physical labour/work in their local community

imprisonment is a form of punishment where a criminal is locked in a secure guarded building (prison) for a period of time

a penalty given to someone who has broken the law, intended to achieve justice and discourage future wrongdoing

The treatment of criminals: prison and community service

Religious education

Good and evil intentions

Reasons for crime: poverty and upbringing

Reasons for crime: mental illness and addiction

Reasons for crime: greed and hate

Opposition to an unjust law

Views about people who commit crime

Views about different types of crime

The aims of punishment

The treatment of criminals: corporal punishment

Different religious views about corporal punishment

The concept of forgiveness

Different religious views about forgiveness

Ethical arguments relating to the death penalty

Different religious views about the death penalty

In this unit pupils will study ideas of crime and how people may view crime is caused. From that, they will examine different ideas of punishing crime and treating criminals focussing especially on a case study of the death penalty and ideas of forgiveness.

Religion, crime and punishment

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

{{}} challenges violent punishment by saying, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone ...

Christians believe corporal punishment goes against human {{}}, which comes from being made in the image of God.

Which ethical theory suggests punishment should support growth, not pain?

Which church banned corporal punishment in its schools in 1987?

it is rarely loving and should be avoided

What does Situation Ethics say about corporal punishment?

True – they believed punishment should involve pain

False – many early Christians rejected violence and harm

False – They supported it only for children

Early Christians supported corporal punishment.

A punishment aiming to stop future crimes by fear of consequences is called {{}}.

{{}} focuses on helping offenders change their behaviour and attitudes.

Offenders who are a danger to the public may be imprisoned for {{}}.

a long prison sentence for a serious crime

Which punishment is most likely to achieve retribution?

offenders must always receive harsh and equal punishment

punishment should focus only on justice, not forgiveness

justice must include mercy, forgiveness and a chance to change

Which of the following best reflects Christian beliefs about punishment?

False - different punishments have different aims

True - all punishments aim to make offenders suffer

True - justice is the only aim of every punishment

All punishments try to achieve the same thing.

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

The treatment of criminals: prison and community service

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.