... be purified through suffering. "The essence of the expiratory view is that in suffering his punishment, the offender has purged his guilt, has 'paid for' his crime, and that his account with society is therefore clear." The focus is on the past crime with the attempt to wipe the slate clean. These ideas largely stem from religious influences on our culture. However, a deeper psychological explanation has been argued to exist, underlying the offenders need for expiration. Guilt is a state of tension which gives rise to a need for the removal of this tension. From the time we are children we are conditioned to expect this relief through punishment. In R v. Williams the defendant was to be punished so that he could expiate his sins, and thus become an accepted member of society again. Whilst society may offer the chance of expiration, it obviously cannot demand it as ...

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