How to punish criminals has been discussed for a long time. A number of people assert that to make a established penalty for all crimes can be efficient method. This essay will address that the benefits and drawbacks of having a settled punishment.
The main advantage of fixed punishment is the fairness of the trial. It can reduce human errors. For example, there are people who commit a same crime receive a different penalty depending on their social status or judge’s disposition. We can prevent these unfair situations by applying a fixed standard to same crimes regardless of who that person is. Also, we can reduce our time and money needed to hold a trial by minimizing repetition of the trials. Most criminals tend not to accept the punishment given to them; they request the next trial. If we have a established standards about the crimes, we can finish the trials quickly and avoid retrial.
On the other hand, there are several drawbacks of this argument also exist. Firstly, the crime rates could be rise. Uncertainty about punishment for crime provides anxiety and hesitation to criminals. However, if criminals already know the consequences of their actions; they will consider between profits and penalties from crime. Secondly, detailed trials will be impossible. Since every single criminals has a disparate motivations and backgrounds, we cannot always judge by the same standards. Take two different murderers for example, the first man killed someone for protect himself, the other man killed someone for money. We would not accept that if they received the same punishment.
In conclusion, there are benefits like quick trial and drawbacks like increased crime rate exist.