Define the goal of retribution in punishing an offender and describe its limitations.

 The goal of retribution is to punish a criminal offender according to the severity of their crimes. Advocates of retribution believe criminals should get their just deserts. Moreover, society holds a view that criminals need to be punished justly for the crimes they commit. Since deterrence is not a goal of retribution, there are some shortcomings to this form of punishment. First, the punishment might be discriminatory and more severe based upon one's race. Another criticism is that retribution fails to provide for rehabilitation of the offender, hence failing to prevent future crimes.