Punishment has taken many different forms throughout history. This essay looks at how punishment of offenders today has elements of Celtic and Roman approaches. According to Celtic philosophy of punishment, deterrence was used as a measure to prevent people from committing an offence as it is today. In Celtic times honour amongst the kinship was important and criminals were cast the lowest social status losing this honour and civil privilege. This loss of privilege still pertains to Britain today and although our prisons provide the incapacitation of offenders, social isolation in Celtic times had similar impact with loss of property, profession, religious rites and confinement to the tribal territory suffering their dishonour within their community.
The Celts would not actually punish an offender nor stand in the way of redemption, in fact this was encouraged but it would be solely down to the offender to earn his way back into his tribe. Belonging to a tribe in Celtic Britain meant everything. Kinship and honour were of utmost importance, so a fear of such isolation and losing religious rites would not only have deterred repeat offending but also stood to deter others from offending. Today, we still use the method of fines as a form of punishment for many offences, where victims can be compensated via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. If an offender does not pay his fine, he could ultimately be sent to prison.
The Quakers, who settled Pennsylvania, believed that the criminal codes were both inhumane and inefficient in that judges often did not follow the criminal codes because they did not want to inflict more severe punishments on relatively minor offenders. Under the leadership of Penn, the Quakers replaced the current criminal code with a new one. The new criminal code included the abolition of capital punishment for all crimes other than homicide, the substitution of imprisonment at hard labor for bloody corporal punishments, the provisions of free food and lodging to inmates, and the replacement of the stocks and pillory with houses of detention. When Penn died in 1718 the Quaker code was repealed. Dr. Benjamin Rush, the leader of the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of the Public Prisons, revived the Quaker code in the late 1700s.
Module 2 Crime and Order Maintenance in Celtic and Roman Britain Like most societies the Celts had strong beliefs regarding rights, privileges, and social duties which would be measured by social casting. For those committing a minor crime the Celts felt rehabilitation within the family was a way to rectify an offender, however if the offence was great enough the offender could find themselves in receipt of a fine that would be determined by social standing,wealth and profession. In the case of a fine a guarantor would be enlisted to insure that the fine would be paid,this would be a person of the same or higher social caste of the offender and the offenders rights to practice their profession or tend and own their own land could be revoked.
I think that ‘vengeance vs. reform’ is such an important topic where it can affect the family of the victim and the criminal could have different opinions towards the type of punishment the judge will choose to apply in the case. Victim side will most likely want lots of vengeance or no mercy on the criminal while the criminals side will always think that the punishment they received was too much or that it was unfair. I think that is fundamental for the court and the judge to think for a perfect punishment that will be the most equal and fair for both the victim and the criminal , but not forgetting the type of crime that was
Personally, I find it sad the way they are treated now and the slaughtering of so many of them unethical and disturbing. The connection between them and capitalism may be slightly exaggerated. I sort of see where the author was going but ultimately I feel like it went completely against their beliefs and way of life. They did not place a money value on things; they traded, lived off the land, built their own tools, caught their own food and had a sense of connection between all the elements of Earth. They respected the land, used in moderation and prioritized the whole tribe over themselves.
On the other hand, if Aborigines took up weapons to defend their land, they were seen as evil savages who needed to be taught a lesson. Many young aboriginals were taken as slaves to the British. They were held and ‘trained’ until they were ‘respectable’ and ‘knew the rules of the house.’ Many of the Aborigines were treated badly and not fed often. “I picked up a boy from under a log, took him home and tamed him, and he became very useful to me, and I think was the means of deterring his tribe from committing further wonton depredations upon my
Aboriginal Peoples: Racism in Colonial Context * The agent was the sole authority in this community and they had all the power to punish or deprive, this worked to break down the traditional authority system , so it basically broke down their social structures * A second element of denationalization was attempted destruction of culture * Natives relied on government handouts because they could not sustain their own lives (they were only allowed to hunt and fish when the Indian agent said they could * The federal government still control when they natives can hunt and fish * Condition on the reserve: no employment, except for those who serve Indian agent therefore poverty and hunger arose and became a serious issue * People faced with
The government was also responsible for the brainwashing and passing the Bill of Life in the first place. That society would never had turned so dark and unloving if it wasn't for that bill. Most juvey cops are also people that agree with unwinding. They dedicate their life to finding these kids and throw them in a harvest camp. Officer Nelson feels that unwinds are “wastes of life” (Shusterman 39).
As therapists we know only too well the cost of a life built around the pursuit of vengeance. One generation takes revenge against the previous by punishing the next. The crimes that occur within the secrecy of the family are as serious as those that fill the tabloids and these are often the crimes most familiar to us. But there is continuity between c, censure takes the form of punishment that is unilaterally imposed on the offender. In contrast, restorative justice involves self-censure of the offender, who accepts the harm done, takes responsibility, and expresses remorse.