Buddhist perspectives on crime and punishment ?

Answer 1

I am Buddhist perhaps I can give some small insight from my perspective. To me crime is a negative Action against those who are innocent of any intentional negative Action against the criminal. This negative Action then will have negaive consequence for the criminal. This phenomenon of Action and Consequence is known as Karma. The negative consequence of course is the obvious one of incarceration, however there are other hidden consequences to be felt, assault in Jail, negative feelings of inadequacy, perhaps serious self image or even depression issues which would be felt at a much later time.

These negative consequences are often overlooked or ignored by these persons and the repurcussions of depression and further negative Actions of crime and further detererioration of the psyche are then obvious.

Punishment for crime as long as it is just and takes into consideration the effects of the crime on the victims is then justifiable to a Buddhist, however the concept of an eye for an eye as a punishment is not so. The Death Penalty for example is abhorrent to a Buddhist as the Lord Buddha's Teaching is clear, we are to refrain from killing another Life Form. It boils down to choice therefore of punishment in this case, my own personal choice would be determined by the crime. Rape of children for example, castration and possibly incarceration alone till natural death. Murder possibly forced assistance with the financial burden of the deceased family for life and such punishments as these would seem more appropriate in the victims favor than outright death of the criminal which serves no purpose but further death.

I hope this gives some insight into a Buddhist perspective on this sensitive and often understated subject.

peace from a Buddhist.

Answer 2

Once someone has realized the error of his ways, what further reason is there to punish?