Punishment
Punishment is the deliberate imposition of burdens or deprivations in response to wrongdoing, central to criminal law, moral and legal philosophy, and behavioral psychology. Legal systems justify punishment through theories such as retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, and communication, subject to constitutional and human-rights constraints. Empirical research evaluates its effectiveness and the relative impact of certainty and severity, as well as alternatives such as restorative justice.
