Which concept describes punishment as a form of societal revenge?

• A. Deterrence
• B. Rehabilitation
• C. Due Process Model
• D. Retribution

Answer: (D)

Retribution describes punishment as a form of societal revenge. It rests on the idea that wrongdoing harms more than the individual and upsets the moral order, so punishment is deserved as a way of paying back the harm and restoring balance. The focus is on moral desert—the offender earns punishment proportionate to the crime—rather than on preventing future crime or changing the person. By contrast, deterrence looks to discourage future offenses, rehabilitation aims to reform the offender, and due process concerns fair procedures in how punishment is carried out. So this concept is the best fit because it centers punishment on repaying the harm done to society.