Week 7 Public Opinion About Punishment

In this particular blog for week seven I chose to discuss chapter seven’s “Public Opinion about Punishment.” When dealing with administering punishment for those who have committed a crime there’s always going to be a difference in opinion. However, the key issues are to find justice for what was unjust. If sentencing and correctional policies were determined by public opinions some might argue that the environment where the crime happened would weigh heavy on the decision made for justice. In other words if a crime happens in a large area with a high crime rate the public may tend to want a harsh sentence with the intent to get a message across. Whereas, in a small less likely crime area the public may be more lenient to punish showing more sympathy to the accused.

Subsequently, the opinions on punishment will always have its different views on how much time an individual should receive as-well-as what kind of punishment that individual should receive. Capital Punishment for an individual has in my opinion been the main focus with the public. Some believe that no person should be able to take another person’s life just because he/she has killed someone. Others feel an eye for an eye… In my opinion I believe that compensation is needed when a love one has been taken because of murder. I feel in order to move on some families feel taking the life of an individual who has killed their love one is restitution. Others not so much…

I just added a must see video that discusses why this blog is relevant to the public’s opinion about punishment. After viewing Anderson Cooper 360 please feel free to address your opinion in this specific case. Is age, race, and wealth the reason why some argue there’s no justice in the Criminal Justice?