PREVENTING NEW CRIMES AS A GOAL OF CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT

Abstract

Abstract. Relevance. This article analyzes the effectiveness of implementing one of the key goals of criminal punishment, enshrined in Article 43 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: preventing the commission of new crimes. Against the backdrop of the transforming crime situation and the emergence of new challenges (cybercrime, terrorist threats), the issue of the preventive function of punishment is particularly important.

Objective. Based on an analysis of statistical data for the beginning of 2025 and law enforcement practice, to assess the effectiveness of existing criminal penalties and justify the need to tighten them for certain categories of crimes.

Results. A comparative analysis of the crime rate was conducted, revealing a trend toward increasing recidivism and serious crimes. Socioeconomic factors influencing the criminalization of society, including migration processes, are considered. The debate raises the advisability of lifting the moratorium on the death penalty as an exceptional punishment to deter particularly serious crimes (high-ranking corruption, terrorism, and sexual assault of minors). It concludes that the fear of inevitable and severe punishment remains an effective tool for both individual and general crime prevention.

Keywords: criminal punishment, goals of punishment, crime prevention, recidivism, death penalty, corruption, crime statistics, prevention, punishment effectiveness.