Criminal Justice Dual Credit Practice Test

Criminal behavior is viewed as a rational choice, so the main aim of punishment in the Classical School is to deter. Think of Beccaria and Bentham arguing that people weigh costs and benefits before committing a crime; if punishment is certain, swift, and proportionate, the perceived cost outweighs the benefits, reducing crime. The emphasis is on deterrence—both general deterrence (dissuading society at large from offending) and specific deterrence (discouraging the individual offender from reoffending)—not on reforming the offender, removing them from society, or compensating victims as the primary goal. Rehabilitation focuses on changing the offender’s behavior; incapacitation emphasizes removing the offender from society to prevent crime; and restitution centers on making amends to victims. These are not the core aims of the Classical School, which centers on deterrence through predictable, fair punishment.