ABSTRACT
Deterrence is based on the idea that humans will naturally violate the law if they are able to do so, and that crime can subsequently be discouraged if members of the public fear the punishment they may receive if they break the law. Original formulations distinguished between two types of deterrence: specific deterrence and general deterrence. Specific deterrence fails to recognize the innumerable reasons and motivations for committing crime, as well as the fact that some offenders may not contemplate or care about the consequences of their actions for themselves or others. With respect to general deterrence, the assumption is that increasing the certainty and severity of punishment will reduce offending in the general population. Both specific and general deterrence operate under a set of assumptions. As Stafford and Warr point out, some people are subject to both specific and general deterrence in that they have both direct and indirect experiences of punishments.
