en

Law Journal of the National Academy of Internal Affairs

  • Received 05.12.2025,
  • Revised 02.03.2026,
  • Accepted 31.03.2026
  • Published 03.04.2026
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Volume 16, No. 1, 2026
  • crime; punishment; prison; death penalty; decriminalisation; transformation justice
  • https://doi.org/10.63341/naia-chasopis/1.2026.09
  • Pages 9-17

Punishing an offender does not always contribute to raising their awareness of the law or preventing unlawful behaviour. Punishment inflicts suffering on the offender but does not reduce the likelihood of future crime, and thus does not contribute to individual and public safety. The aim of this article was to identify the potential for applying the ideas of well-known proponents of abolitionism in the practice of crime prevention, as well as to forecast the consequences of such application. The study aimed to systematise and critically analyse the concepts of criminal law abolitionism in the context of contemporary transformations in anti-crime policy. It was noted that a significant problem facing society is the state’s repressive control over crime, which contradicts the natural human rights to life, health, freedom and dignity. Moreover, the achievement of the goals of general and individual prevention through the imposition and enforcement of punishment is not empirically substantiated; consequently, the policy of criminal repression cannot be the primary means of combating crime. Above all, the suffering of crime victims, their families and society as a whole is of paramount importance. From this perspective, the absence of punishment for the offender contradicts humanism and justice. Supporters of abolitionism have not provided an answer to the question of reconciling the interests of the offender and the victim from the standpoint of justice. Until this issue is resolved, it is advisable to adhere to current legislation and its principle of the inevitability of punishment. The analysis of abolitionist ideas in criminology has demonstrated the need for an objective assessment of the consequences of an offence for the offender themselves, as well as for the victim and society as a whole. The proposals are aimed at a balanced and critical assessment of abolitionist ideas, at optimising law enforcement mechanisms regarding the prosecution of offenders whilst guaranteeing human rights and freedoms

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