Existing Criticism, Essay Example

Existing criticism states that probation is not real punishment. However, as a consequence of existing disparity, some individuals who commit crimes are given probation, while others are sent to jail. Ultimately, this has allowed criminal justice professionals to determine the efficacy of probation versus the efficacy of required jail time. It has been found that probation is cost efficient and the reduced jail time allows a criminal to become rehabilitated, rather than encouraging them to remain within the criminal justice system.

Probation is a real punishment, and the particular punishment depends upon the particular crime that has been committed, just as the length of a jail sentence would. Probation is generally beneficial to the community because it allows the criminal to remain within society and gain its positive influences, to maintain family ties for support during this process, and to give back to the community to atone for the crime that has been committed. Research has shown that probation operates as both a punishment and a system to correct a behavior, rather than just serving as a punishment.

An example in which probation is more effective than jail time is a situation in which an individual commits a violent robbery, but does not intend to harm anyone. If this individual is sent to jail, his behavior will not be corrected, and it is possible that his time there will cause him to become a more violent individual, giving him the real potential to hurt others. Probation will help him recognize the error of his ways and reduce the likelihood of a repeated crim. Therefore, probation is more beneficial to the community in this case.