Final answer:
If a convict evades serving their sentence, the prescription of the penalty is paused and resumes upon recapture. Escape is considered a separate offense, often resulting in additional charges and increased penalties. Modern justice systems seek to balance punishment with rehabilitation objectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Prescription of Penalty and Evasion of Sentence
When an individual who has been convicted of a crime evades serving their sentence, the legal system treats this act as a separate offense. The prescription of the penalty does not continue to run during the time an individual is in hiding or evading the sentence, and the timer would reset upon recapture. This is because the act of fleeing from incarceration is in itself a violation of the law, therefore the consequences are compounded.
Incarceration serves multiple purposes, which include deterrence of criminal activities and rehabilitation of the convict. When an individual evades their sentence, it thwarts these objectives, and upon their recapture, they are likely to face additional charges and increased penalties. The justice system does not condone escape attempts and views them seriously, often imposing harsher punishment on recaptured escapees.
How the justice system deals with those who flee from their sentences demonstrates a complex geography of punishment and rehabilitation within the criminal justice system. Whilst the medieval and historical approaches to punishment were often cruel and barbarous, modern systems aim at obtaining a balance between humane treatment, ensuring public safety, and providing opportunities for offender rehabilitation.