Is The Fear Of Punishment Enough To Deter Crime?
Going to jail seems like a pretty steep price to pay for just about anything. Every crime, every little thing you do wrong and instantly the fear of criminal prosecution plays out in your mind like an old horror movie, even if it is just that one chocolate bar you may or may not have stolen from the supermarket when you were young but definitely knew better.
But is this fear of jail, of a criminal record, of any sort of criminal prosecution truly the most effective deterrent to crime? Or is it all just in our heads? David Brown, a Emeritus Professor from the University of New South Wales School of Law joined The Daily to tell us more about the myth of deterrence and why it may not be the best response to limiting criminal activity.
