Final answer:
The criminal justice system establishes morality by delineating right from wrong through laws that define crimes and sanctions that act as deterrents. It employs approaches like retribution, prevention, and rehabilitation to teach societal morals. Discussions on effectiveness and fairness continue, particularly regarding incarceration and the death penalty.
Step-by-step explanation:
The criminal justice system teaches morality primarily by establishing a line between right and wrong. This is done through the enforcement of legal codes and the adjudication of justice by various entities within the system, namely the police, courts, and corrections. The system elucidates what is considered acceptable behavior and what is not, instituting formal sanctions and punishments to deter and address criminal activities.
Retribution, incapacitation, prevention, rehabilitation, and restoration are the five basic approaches to controlling crime that embody the criminal justice system. Each approach plays a role in teaching societal morals by highlighting the consequences of wrongful actions, aiming to rehabilitate offenders, or seeking to repair the harm done to victims and society.
While enforcing morality through the legal system, debates endure regarding the effectiveness and fairness of different methods, such as incarceration and the death penalty, in truly rehabilitating individuals and deterring crime.