Redefining punishment
Description
This thesis examines community-based justice models in the United States while considering whether these systems may be implemented in place of the current criminal carceral system in Louisiana and how this may be executed. I will begin by addressing different theories of punishment/justice (retributivism, consequentialism, deterrence, incapacitation, restoration, and rehabilitation) and supplementing these analyses with discussion of contemporary (21st century) community-centered approaches that have emerged in response to the consequences of current systems of punishment. In Chapter 2, I will chronicle the policies that contributed to mass incarceration in the United States and suggest alternative community-based and preventive interventions that have potential to enhance public safety and improve holistic quality of life. In Chapter 3, I will discuss findings surrounding the efficacy of incarceration and address whether there is room to incapacitate individuals that pose a significant threat to public safety (often dubbed “the dangerous few” in criminal justice literature). I will also offer a comparative analysis of conditions in the United States prison system and conditions in Norwegian and German prisons. Finally, I will examine the impact of Louisiana’s 2017 Justice Reinvestment Initiative and lasting policies that continue to contribute to mass incarceration in the state. The primary goal of this thesis is to investigate the ways in which community-based justice may be implemented in tandem with grounded preventive justice and an abolitionist ethic in Louisiana.