ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to give you an introduction into the subject matter
of penology – the scientific study of punishment. In this chapter we will
consider the various aims that society may seek to achieve by punish-
ing those who have broken the law, in particular drawing a distinction
between reductivist and retributivist aims. We will also discuss the soci-
ology of punishment which provides us with insights as to why the aims
and forms of punishment vary across historical time periods.
