Page 260 - Sociology and You

230 Unit 2 Culture and Social Structures
World View
World View
Death Penalty Policy
Countries vary in their approach to the control of crime. The most extreme form of social control, the death penalty, is utilized in many countries, while some countries have abolished capital punishment completely. This map shows variations in national policy regarding the death penalty.
North America
Europe
South America
Interpreting the Map
1. Do you notice any pattern in the use of the death penalty? Describe it.
2. What additional information would you need to determine if capital punishment is an effective deterrent to crime? Explain.
Source: Amnesty International Online
Africa
Asia
Australia
Legal Status of Capital Punishment
Abolished for all crimes
Abolished for ordinary crimes but retained for crimes against the state and its agents, or for crimes committed in extraordinary times, such as war
Retained for ordinary crimes but no executions since 1990 Retained and used for ordinary crimes
Federal system; status varies
Do prisons rehabilitate criminals? Rehabilitation is an approach to crime control that attempts to resocialize criminals. Most prisons have pro- grams aimed at giving prisoners both social and work skills that will help them adjust to normal society after their release. Unfortunately, 30 to 60 per- cent of those released from penal institutions are sent back to prison in two
rehabilitation
process of changing or reforming a criminal through socialization