Pros And Cons Of The Deterrence Theory

The deterrence theory is based on a rational choice theory. This theory finds the pros and cons of a given situation to determine the desired outcome. William Stuntz (2011), author of The Collapse of American Criminal Justice, asserted that “...The more likely murderers, rapists, and car thieves are to face punishment for their crimes, the fewer murders, rapes and stolen cars there will be.” (p. 51). Furthermore, if people were to commit a crime the more that given crime is punished in the eyes of the law, the less likely people are prone to committing that crime. Although, the sentences are not excessive when punishing the guilt, just enough to teach them a lesson not to do it again.

In the article, “Better Approach to Violent Crime”,