What best describes retribution in the context of punishment?

Retribution is best understood as a philosophy of punishment that emphasizes the idea of deserved consequences. This approach holds that individuals who commit offenses deserve to be punished in proportion to the severity of their actions. In this context, the concept of "payback for losses incurred" aligns accurately because retribution seeks to ensure that offenders face consequences that reflect the harm they have caused to victims or society.

Retribution is fundamentally about justice and ensuring that the punishment is a direct response to the crime committed, rather than focusing on future crime prevention or the rehabilitation of the offender. While rehabilitation and community service can be parts of restorative justice or other correctional approaches, they do not capture the essence of retribution, which is primarily concerned with moral balance and accountability rather than ongoing impacts or future crime avoidance.