LEGAL ≠ JUST
If something is legal, does that automatically make it just?
No. Something can be legal but still unfair or immoral.
Why does society need authority?
To maintain order, protect people, enforce rules, and resolve conflicts.
Which punishment model focuses on moral payback?
Retribution.
Where can bias occur in the justice system?
Policing decisions, trial quality, sentencing, and prison treatment.
What does criminal justice reform try to do?
Improve the existing system and reduce bias and errors.
Give one reason why a legal system might still be unjust.
Laws can reflect bias, discrimination, majority opinion, or outdated values.
Name one danger or weakness of authority
Abuse of power, unfair policies, corruption, or resisting change.
Which punishment model focuses on fear to prevent crime?
Deterrence.
Why might wealthy defendants receive better outcomes?
They can afford experienced private attorneys, expert witnesses, and more legal resources.
What does abolition argue for?
Replacing the current system with new approaches focused on prevention and healing.
Why is understanding the difference between legal and just important in debate?
Because debate requires evaluating whether laws should change, not just whether they exist.
Why might people obey authority even when they disagree with it?
Fear of punishment, belief in legitimacy, social pressure, or desire for stability.
Which punishment model best reduces long-term repeat crime? Explain.
Rehabilitation, because it addresses root causes and reduces reoffending.
Drug possession (low harm) receives longer sentences than large financial fraud. What does this suggest about societal priorities?
That society may prioritize drug enforcement more harshly than financial crimes, possibly reflecting political or social bias.
Which approach focuses more on root causes of crime?
Abolition, because it emphasizes prevention and addressing social conditions.
A law bans peaceful protest but was legally passed. Is it just? Defend your answer.
It would likely be unjust because it violates freedom of expression and limits basic rights, even if legally passed.
When is it justified to challenge authority?
When authority is abusive, discriminatory, violates rights, or creates injustice
Which punishment model prioritizes victims the most?
Retribution or incapacitation, because it focuses on moral justice for victims.
Black Americans are 13% of the population but 38% of prisoners. Name two possible explanations.
Policing patterns, sentencing disparities, socioeconomic inequality, structural bias, or unequal legal resources.
Can reform and abolition work together?
They can overlap if reforms move toward reducing incarceration and investing in prevention, but they differ in how far change should go.
Explain how the gap between legal and just leads to social change.
When people recognize laws are unfair, they protest, debate, vote, and push reforms, leading to legal change.
Could society function without authority? Defend your position.
Most would argue no, because without authority there would likely be chaos, insecurity, and lack of coordination. Some may argue limited authority could work in small communities.
If public safety is your top priority, which model should dominate?
Incapacitation, because it guarantees safety while offenders are removed from society (though it does not reform them).
Most criminal cases end in plea bargains instead of trial. What fairness concerns does this raise?
Defendants may feel pressured to plead guilty, transparency is reduced, and justice happens mostly outside public courtrooms.
Which approach wants fewer prisons, and how?
Reform tries to improve the current system.
Abolition tries to replace the system entirely.