Punishment: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

m

Line 1:

In [[society]], '''punishment''' is the concept of imposing negative [[consequence]]s upon individual [[person]]s who commit [[destruction|destructive]] actions (ie. [[crime]]s) —either to educate individuals in the understanding of ''consequence'' in general (part of society's [[reward system]]), or to [[human isolation|isolate]] and segregate individuals (incarceration, execution) who appear to be incapable of understanding or else living within the boundaries of such consequence (ie. society).

{{Unreferenced|date=January 2008}}

Such destructive actions are called [[offense (law)|offenses]] (criminal), and range from minor infractions up to [[capital crime]]s such as unlawful [[homicide]]. Such consequences may range from [[citation]]s and [[fine]]s, up to [[incarceration]], and for capital crimes, the [[death penalty]].

{{Cleanup|date=July 2008}}

The concept of matching proper consequences to [[crime]]s is called [[justice]]. The task of connecting crimes to individuals and apprehending those individuals is called [[law enforcement]]. The task of handling individuals in accord with legal procedures is called [[criminal justice]]. The task of deciding the fate of individuals is called [[legal judgment|judgment]]. All together these societal functions form its [[justice system]].

'''Punishment''' is the practice of imposing something negative or [[unpleasant]] on a person or animal or property, usually in response to disobedience, defiance, or behavior deemed morally wrong by individual, governmental, or religious principles.

The concept of punishments being abusively employed is called [[abuse of justice]] or (more generally) [[abuse of power]]. For example [[false imprisonment]] and [[political prisoner|political imprisonment]] are abuses of justice. [[Collective punishment]] is an abuse of justice wherein large groups of people are "punished" for the offenses of individuals, or for actions or qualities which are subjectively deemed an "offense."

==Etymology==