Preferring Punishment? Ostracism, Reintegration and Stigma | Lewis Ross (LSE)
Preferring Punishment? Ostracism, Reintegration and Stigma
Lewis Ross (LSE)
Abstract
A common progressive view holds that we should greatly reduce reliance on prison but, contrary to abolitionism, maintains that some such form of punitive treatment is necessary for the most serious crimes. But how can we maintain this view in light of empirical evidence that imprisonment is ineffective? Empirical challenges strike at both deterrent considerations prized by consequentialist theories and the ability of prison to appeal to the rationality of wrongdoers as prized by modern retributivists. This talk explores the relationship between reintegration and persuasion of offenders, suggesting that punitive treatment may be justifiable as a way to avoid offenders being exposing to severe social harms. However, while this argument provides a way to justify a seemingly conservative reliance on punitive treatment, it generates important subsidiary duties regarding the reduction of offender stigma and of punitive attitudes in society generally.
The Institute of Philosophy hosts a regular workshop series entitled ‘The Practical, the Political, and the Ethical’.
The series was created in 2015 by Véronique Munoz-Dardé (UCL) and Hallvard Lillehammer (Birkbeck) in order to discuss work in progress from visiting speakers. This year the series is convened by Elise Woodard (KCL) and Michael Hannon (Nottingham). Talks are normally 45 minutes (no pre-circulation of the paper), followed by discussion. All are welcome.
This page was last updated on 2 July 2024