Punishment as Moral Fortification

What would fortificational punishments actually involve? They take their cue from certain elements of prevailing rehabilitative approaches, which transpire at the fringes of the criminal justice system in most Western democracies. Consider these illustrative examples, all designed to help offenders get back on their moral feet: The probation order assigned to citizens convicted of alcohol-related crimes (such as driving under the influence or drunken domestic violence), requiring them to submit to daily breathalyzer checks while strategizing with parole officers on how to avoid reoffending. [A program of this kind is described in Beau Kilmer et al., ‘Efficacy of Frequent Monitoring with Swift, Certain, and Modest Sanctions for Violations: Insights From South Dakota’s 24/7 Sobriety Project’, American Journal of Public Health 103, 1 (2013): 37–43.]