“That is my opinion and nothing you say is going to change it!” In our first ch

A Danish study of recidivism in young males demonstrated that punishment reduced rates of subsequent arrests for both minor and serious crimes.
However the severity of punishment made no difference.  Fines and probation were as effective as jail time.
What was important in that study was the consistency of the punishment.
In the U.S., young offenders are punished far less consistently than in Denmark.
Despite a high incarceration rate, the United States has a far higher rate of violent crime than other developed countries.
U.S. crime rates are not consistently correlated with rates of incarceration.
Based on this evidence, it seems apparent that punishment, by itself, is not necessarily effective.  If must be consistent.
Punishment is more likely to work if it does not involve physical abuse, it is accompanied by information about appropriate behaviors, and it is followed by the reinforcement of desirable behavior.
Punishment often fails for the following reasons:
People often administer punishment inappropriately or mindlessly.
The recipient of punishment often responds with anxiety, fear, or rage.
The effectiveness of punishment is often temporary, depending heavily on the presence of the punishing person or circumstances.
Most misbehavior is hard to punish immediately.
Punishment conveys little information.
An action intended to punish may instead be reinforcing because it brings attention.
The U.S. criminal justice system needs to take into account these reasons for the success and failure of punishment in and remodel the punishment system accordingly.