Our theory and practice in the area of sentencing have undergone a gradual but dramatic metamorphosis through the years. Primitive man believed that a crime created an imbalance, which could be rectified only by punishing the wrongdoer. Thus, sentencing was initially vengeance-oriented. Gradually, emphasis began to be placed on the deterrent value of a sentence upon future wrongdoing.
Though deterrence is still an important consideration, increased emphasis on the possibility of reforming the offender--of returning him to the community a useful citizen bars the harsh penalties once imposed and brings into play a new set of sentencing criteria. Today, each offender is viewed as a unique individual, and the sentencing judge seeks to know why he has committed the crime and what are the chances of a repetition of the offense. The judge’s prime objective is not to punish but to treat.
This emphasis on treatment of the individual has created a host of new problems
A. a desire to reform
B. imbalance
C. a desire for revenge
D. a desire to deter future wrongdoing
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