Crime Control: Utilitarian and Retributive Justice Theories

There are different theories that attempt to justify the use of punishment in the criminal justice system. Traditionally, there were few attempts to find justifications for the use of imprisonment since many thought it made sense for the state to punish an offender as provided for in the Criminal Justice System. However, owing to the development of the justice system and   critical appraisal of the usefulness of imprisonment, there is a greater focus on the philosophical underpinnings of punishment. It is therefore not a surprise that as opposed to times gone by, there is now a legitimate movement questioning the utility of capital punishment for capital offenses.