Which model of sentencing holds that offenders deserve the punishment they receive based on the crime and its severity?

• A. Aggravating circumstances
• B. Just Desserts
• C. Mitigating factors
• D. Mark system

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is that punishment should be a moral response tied to what was done and how blameworthy the offender is. Just Desserts holds that the sentence ought to fit the crime and the offender’s culpability—punishment is deserved because of the offense’s severity and the person’s moral responsibility. It’s a retributive view, focusing on giving people what they deserve rather than on future outcomes for society, such as deterring others or rehabilitating the offender.

In this frame, aggravating and mitigating factors are about adjusting the sentence up or down based on specific circumstances, and the Mark system concerns earning release rather than prescribing punishment based on desert. So the approach described—punishment that mirrors the severity of the crime and the offender’s culpability—is Just Desserts.