What does incapacitation aim to achieve in the context of crime?

Incapacitation is a key objective within the criminal justice system that focuses on preventing further criminal activity by isolating offenders from society. This approach is based on the belief that individuals who have committed crimes pose a threat to public safety, and by keeping these individuals incarcerated, society can be protected from potential future offenses.

Incapacitation seeks to eliminate the opportunity for offenders to commit additional crimes by physically removing them from the general population, thereby acting as a means of direct crime control. This differs from rehabilitation, which aims to reform the offender's behavior; retribution, which seeks to impose punishment; and support for victims' rights, which focuses on helping victims recover and receive justice. Each of these other aims addresses different aspects of the criminal justice process but does not prioritize the immediate prevention of crime through isolation, which is the core principle of incapacitation.