Quote Originally Posted by bmolsson
The society couldn't care less on retribution. Any damages to a victim or the state are always second to the actual punishment. The punishment itself doesn't really mean something for the society, society doesn't understand revenge.
Again you would be incorrect all one has to do is look at the definitions

Quote Originally Posted by websters for retribution
1 : RECOMPENSE, REWARD
2 : the dispensing or receiving of reward or punishment especially in the hereafter
3 : something given or exacted in recompense; especially : PUNISHMENT
Quote Originally Posted by Websters for punishment
1 : the act of punishing
2 a : suffering, pain, or loss that serves as retribution b : a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure
3 : severe, rough, or disastrous treatment
So in essence punishment is indeed primarily about retibution by its definition.



You can divide in punishment in 3 categories:

1. Prevention (thanks for the word, by the way ).
A law is there for a reason. The punishment for breaking this law should be so costly that it prevents people breaking it. Very much like military balance actually.

2. Protection.
Some crimes require the society to be protected from the individual, therefore the punishment has to remove the individual from the society, hence protecting it from his actions.
These are not punishment catergories - these are side-effects of punishment in the justice system.

3. Retribution
This is the moral part. Some would argue that "re-education" is better than revenge. I believe that this portion is always the one that is under hefty discussions. Bottomline is that you want to satisfy the victim and teach the criminal, in what ever order that works for you. For the society itself it's irrelevant as long as 1 and 2 are fulfilled.

I think that its important to identify the society here. Its a powerstructure with the purpose to organise and standardize a group of individuals. The main objectives of the society are more important than the individuals and therefore there are many times disagreements which has to be enforced.
You are correct retribution does contain morals - morals are very much intertwined (SP) with justice and punishment. The desire not to discuss morals leaves most arguements about punishment only half complete.