To prevent future occurrences corresponds to which concept?

• A. Deterrence
• B. Restorative Justice
• C. Probable Cause
• D. To prevent future occurrences

Answer: (D)

Deterrence is about preventing future wrongdoing by making the consequences of crime predictable and undesirable. It works on two levels: general deterrence, which aims to discourage society at large, and specific deterrence, which aims to discourage the individual offender from reoffending due to punishment or negative consequences.

Why this fits the idea of preventing future occurrences: deterrence focuses on shaping future behavior by creating a perception that crime will lead to costly outcomes, thereby reducing the likelihood of future offenses.

Restorative Justice, by contrast, centers on repairing harm and reconciling the community, not primarily on preventing future crimes through deterrence. Probable Cause is a legal standard used to justify actions like arrests or searches, not a prevention strategy. The phrasing that restates a goal without naming a specific policy approach isn’t as precise as deterrence in capturing the mechanism intended to prevent future occurrences.

So, the concept that best matches the aim of preventing future occurrences is deterrence.