Religious Attitudes to Crime and Punishment
Within this topic candidates should be aware of religious beliefs and teachings concerning human nature, wrong-doing and the punishment of offenders, and repentance and forgiveness. They should be aware of the implications of these beliefs and teachings in relation to:
- an understanding of the religious beliefs about law and order;
- concepts of right and wrong, conscience, duty and responsibility;
- the debate about the causes of crime including social, environmental and psychological explanations;
- the different types of crimes, including against the person, property and the state and religious offences;
- the aims of punishment, defined as protection, retribution, deterrence, reformation, vindication and reparation;
- the appropriateness of different forms of punishment in achieving the aims of punishment, including:
- the handling of young offenders,
- the effects of imprisonment,
- the meaning and implications of life imprisonment,
- issues arising out of parole and early release,
- the debate about the death penalty (capital punishment);
- alternatives to prison, including electronic tagging, probation, fines and community service and the debate about prison reform
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