Essentially this essay will evaluate prisons as the central form of punishment at the start of the 21st century. One must first discuss what the central aim of punishment actually is. ... The concept of just deserts has attracted criticism as there is the suspicion that "the idea of desert cannot be distinguished from a principle of vengeance or the unappealing assertion that two wrongs somehow make a right." ... Andrew Ashworth sates that where a "former prisoner is not reconvicted within two years, one cannot tell whether the explanation for that is the rehabilitative effect of custody, or i...

• Word Count: 2252
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The decision as to what kind of conduct by African-Americans ought to be punished is better made by African- Americans themselves."1 The means by which Butler proposes for Blacks to implement these decisions is termed jury nullification. ... Although several commentators have voiced criticisms with the ideas of Professor Butler, most of these criticisms focus on what is best for the American legal system, what legal precedents dictate, or as is most often the case, on what is "right." ... Instead criticism and analysis must be based upon what is best for the Black community in this country. .....

• Word Count: 3584
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: Undergraduate