Final answer:
The role of corrections is not solely to deter potential criminals; it includes punishment, rehabilitation, and public safety. Deterrence alone is not universally effective, and correctional strategies like rehabilitation are often more successful at reducing crime rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
The proposition that the role of corrections is mainly to deter potential criminals from committing crime is false. The corrections system encompasses more than just deterrence; it includes various other objectives such as punishment, rehabilitation, and ensuring public safety by incapacitating criminals. Research has shown mixed results regarding the effectiveness of deterrence.
For instance, while longer sentences for gun crimes in New York City have been linked to a 5% reduction in gun crime, programs like Scared Straight, intended to deter youths from criminal behavior, have actually led to increased crime rates among participants. It is clear that incarceration alone may not be the most effective way to prevent crime, especially for juveniles, for whom alternatives to incarceration often yield better outcomes.
Rehabilitation efforts, such as drug courts and vocational training, have proven to be more effective in reducing recidivism than purely punitive measures.