Abstract
The unprecedented growth of incarceration in the U.S has been driven by changes in criminal justice policy. These changes cannot be justified according to a theory of proportionality that reconciles consequentialist and deontological requirements. Punishment should be as proportional to its crime-reducing effects as possible without being disproportional to the crime itself. Not only have the changes in criminal justice policy made the system of punishment less proportional to its crime-reducing effects, but they have also created a system of punishment that is, in many cases, disproportional to the crime.
Highlights
The United States of America (U.S) has the highest prison population in the world (Obama, 2015)
As long as the punishment can reasonably be considered proportional to the crime, it should be as proportional to its crime-reducing effects as possible
I will demonstrate that increasing the amount of time served for violent crime was not necessary to ensure the punishment was proportional to the crime
Summary
The unprecedented growth of incarceration in the U.S has been driven by changes in criminal justice policy. These changes cannot be justified according to a theory of proportionality that reconciles consequentialist and deontological requirements. Punishment should be as proportional to its crime-reducing effects as possible without being disproportional to the crime itself. Have the changes in criminal justice policy made the system of punishment less proportional to its crime-reducing effects, but they have created a system of punishment that is, in many cases, disproportional to the crime
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Undergraduate Journal of Politics and International Relations
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
