General deterrence is defined as which of the following?

General deterrence is defined as which of the following?

• A. The release from detention under supervision
• B. Punishment of criminals intended to deter the general public
• C. A model of corrections based on reintegration
• D. Technology for crime analysis

Answer: (B)

General deterrence is about using punishment to discourage people in the community from committing crimes by making the consequences seem costly or risky to them. It aims to send a message to society at large, so potential offenders think twice before breaking the law. This differs from specific deterrence, which targets the individual offender to prevent a repetition of their own crime. The option describing punishment of criminals intended to deter the general public captures this idea, since it emphasizes influencing the behavior of the broader audience, not just the person who offended. The other choices describe releasing someone from detention under supervision (parole or probation), a rehabilitation/integration approach, or a crime-analysis technology, none of which match the concept of deterring the general public through punishment.

General deterrence is about using punishment to discourage people in the community from committing crimes by making the consequences seem costly or risky to them. It aims to send a message to society at large, so potential offenders think twice before breaking the law. This differs from specific deterrence, which targets the individual offender to prevent a repetition of their own crime.

The option describing punishment of criminals intended to deter the general public captures this idea, since it emphasizes influencing the behavior of the broader audience, not just the person who offended. The other choices describe releasing someone from detention under supervision (parole or probation), a rehabilitation/integration approach, or a crime-analysis technology, none of which match the concept of deterring the general public through punishment.