Which of the following is not a problem inherent in incapacitative sentencing:

A) It works only if we lock up those who would have committed further offenses if they had been left free.
B) It works only if those we lock up are not immediately replaced by new recruits.
C) It works only if we fix offenders while we lock them up.
D) It works only if the crimes committed after release are not so frequent or serious so as to negate the effects of the crimes prevented through incapacitative sentencing.

Question

Rachel Lackey · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : C, Explanation :  The problem with incapacitative sentencing is that it assumes locking up offenders will prevent future crimes, but this is not always the case. Options A, B, and D acknowledge limitations of incapacitative sentencing. Option C, however, is not a problem inherent in incapacitative sentencing because it assumes that the goal of the sentencing is to fix offenders, which is not the primary aim of this approach.

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