Some would argue that each form of criminal offense should have a constant penalty, while others say It should be determined by situations surrounding an individual crime, and the intention behind it. I believe havinga [clear punishment can reduce crime rate in the society.
On the one hand taking into consideration all the reasons around a crime will help to treat the problem from the root.Most of the criminal acts are premeditated, that is it has been thought through and well planned. Paying attention to the other factors related to the law breaking will help to identify the cause, and hence solution can be provided. For instance, in Ghana, before an offender is prosecuted, a background check is done to ascertain the reason for the act. However, I believe this will prolong the judicial decision process, and justice may be delayed.
On the other hand, having a specific sanction for each crime will deter future lawbreaking. For every action there is a reaction, an individual that breaks the law should face the consequence of it. With this method, there will be check and balance for everybody. For example, in Saudi Arabia for any form of theft, the punishment is cutting of the finger. This has made the country to be one of the countries with low crime rate. I believe this school of thought is preferable owing to the fact that it helps to curb crime in the society.
In conclusion, although looking beyond the crime itself will help to understand the criminals mind and how to rehabilitate them, but it won’t cause a positive reformation in other criminals.