Question

Open jails are set up under philosophical tenets of ............

• A. Incarceration of prisoners
• B. Revenge Philosophy
• C. Retribution
• D. Reformation of prisoners

Hint:

Remember the four main theories of punishment: Retributive (punishment for the crime), Deterrent (to discourage others), Incapacitative (to remove the offender from society), and Reformative (to rehabilitate the offender). Open jails are a prime example of the reformative approach.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
An open jail, or a minimum-security prison, is a correctional facility where prisoners are trusted to complete their sentences with minimal supervision and security. They are often not locked up in prison cells and may be required to work to pay for their upkeep and contribute to the community. The core idea is to prepare them for reintegration into society.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's evaluate the philosophical tenets:
1. Incarceration of prisoners: This is simply the act of confining someone in prison; it is a method, not a philosophy. Open jails practice a specific form of incarceration.
2. Revenge Philosophy: This is an outdated concept focused on inflicting suffering on the offender out of a desire for vengeance. Open jails are the opposite of this.
3. Retribution: This philosophy holds that punishment should be proportional to the crime ("an eye for an eye"). While it is a key principle of justice, it focuses on just deserts rather than changing the offender's future behavior.
4. Reformation of prisoners: This philosophy, also known as rehabilitation, aims to change an offender's character, attitude, or behavior so they will not reoffend in the future and can become productive members of society. Open jails, with their focus on trust, responsibility, work, and gradual reintegration, are a direct application of the reformative theory of punishment.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The entire model of open jails is built on the belief that prisoners can be reformed and rehabilitated, making reformation the underlying philosophical tenet.