The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law
Chapter 5: The Three ‘R’s
Page 7: Retaliation

STILL…

Even though retribution is the most important factor in criminal punishment, nobody likes to admit it.

Medieval executioner hacking limbs off a man

Responding to pain with more pain? It’s so… so SADISTIC… so barbaric!

Hardly an enlightened purpose of punishment.

But even though we don’t like to talk about retribution, in private we’ll at least acknowledge its importance.

There is still on more purpose of punishment, however, that few would ever admit even to themselves:

The State slapping Average Joe across the face

RETALIATION