What are some examples of retribution in criminal justice?

The term retribution comes from both the Middle-English and Middle-French extensions of the original Latin, retribuere; which means to pay back. In the broadest sense the term means something given or exacted in recompense. read more

Other examples of retribution in the criminal law area include most any punishment involving the death penalty, severe fines, or long period incarceration. There are generally two principles at play when retribution is used in the justice system. read more

When society executes retribution on criminals by means of fines, incarceration or death, these punishments are a social expression of the personal vengeance the criminal's victims feel, rationally confined (it is hoped) to what is best for society as a whole. read more

Retribution is at the heart of just about all judicial systems that deal with law and order. To the extent that punishment is supposed to fit the crime, retributive justice can be distinguished from revenge in the sense that defendants are expected to give up something in return for the offenses they committed. read more