What is one purpose of punishment in the criminal justice system?

Deterrence is a key purpose of punishment in the criminal justice system, aimed at preventing future crimes. The idea is that by imposing penalties on offenders, the criminal justice system sends a clear message that criminal behavior has consequences, which can discourage both the offender and the general public from committing similar offenses. This can function on two levels: specific deterrence focuses on discouraging the individual offender from reoffending, while general deterrence aims to prevent others in society from engaging in criminal acts by illustrating the repercussions that criminals face.

The other choices reflect concepts that may not necessarily align with the primary goals of punishment. Revenge, while it may be a natural emotional response to crime, is not recognized as a formal goal of the legal system. Retribution against the system is more a critique of the justice system than an aim of punishment, and isolation focuses primarily on incapacitating offenders rather than providing a forward-looking purpose like deterrence does. Thus, deterrence stands out as the most constructive and socially oriented purpose of punishment in the criminal justice framework.