Arguments For and Against
Fines are considered to be a cost-efficient and fair way of punishment for those who commit a non-violent offense. Lengthy prison sentences for minor offenses such as drug possession cost taxpayers more, remove otherwise productive citizens from society, and impose a fear on society as a whole because of over-policing and excessive prosecution.
Fines are counter-productive if the offender commits more offences to get the money to pay the fine.
The effect of a fine is lessened if the money to pay the fine is raised by contributions by the offender's associates, or if his family rather than himself go short to save back the lost money.
Read more about this topic: Fine (penalty)
Famous quotes containing the word arguments:
“It has often been argued that absolute scepticism is self-contradictory; but this is a mistake: and even if it were not so, it would be no argument against the absolute sceptic, inasmuch as he does not admit that no contradictory propositions are true. Indeed, it would be impossible to move such a man, for his scepticism consists in considering every argument and never deciding upon its validity; he would, therefore, act in this way in reference to the arguments brought against him.”
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)