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Thomas has been charged with home burglary, but his trial is delayed for nearly a year due to court delays and continuances. He is convicted and is sentenced to six months in jail, although the typical sentence for this crime is two years in prison. After Thomas serves his time in jail, he continues to commit similar crimes. Which of the following would have been most likely to deter Thomas?

A) Severity of punishment
B) Certainty of punishment
C) Celerity of punishment
D) Rehabilitation programs

User Mszaro
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

To deter Thomas from continuing to commit crimes, a combination of the certainty of punishment, celerity of punishment, and rehabilitation programs would likely have been the most effective. The correct options are B,C and D.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question of what might have deterred Thomas from continuing to commit crimes after his release concerns the most effective methods of criminal deterrence. Research has shown mixed effectiveness for different deterrence strategies.

A review of the data indicates that the certainty of punishment is a critical factor in deterring crime, as individuals are less likely to commit crimes if they are certain they will be caught and punished.

On the other hand, the severity of punishment can also play a role, though it is often less effective than certainty.

Celerity of punishment, or the swiftness with which punishment is applied, can contribute to deterrence, but it is generally considered less impactful than certainty or severity.

Lastly, rehabilitation programs have been shown to be effective in reducing recidivism.

In Thomas's case, it may be that a combination of timely justice - ensuring the swiftness of legal proceedings - coupled with a strong likelihood of being caught and rehabilitative efforts could have been more influential in deterring him from reoffending.The correct options are B,C and D.

User Robin Agrahari
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