THE NORMATIVE-AXIOLOGICAL DIMENSION AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT OF PENAL SANCTIONS
THE NORMATIVE-AXIOLOGICAL DIMENSION AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT OF PENAL SANCTIONS

Summary/Abstract: The Normative-Axiological Dimension and the Environmental Context of Penal Sanctions. This paper examines the normative-axiological dimension and the environmental context of penal sanctions, focusing on the original theoretical framework developed by Romanian criminologist George C. Basiliade in his seminal work Comprehensive Criminology. The study situates Basiliade’s “critical difference” concept—defined as the contrast between the convict’s penal and pre-penal environments—within the broader tradition of criminological and penological thought, from Beccaria, Bentham, and Kant to Durkheim, Foucault, and Goffman. The article explores the material, social, and natural environments of punishment and their impact on the convict’s perception of coercion, repression, and expiation. By integrating classical theories with contemporary perspectives from sociology, psychology, and social work, Basiliade proposes a comprehensive, interdisciplinary model of punishment that links the normative legitimacy of sanctions with their ecological and phenomenological experience. This synthesis underscores the enduring importance of environmental factors in shaping the effectiveness and ethical justification of penal practices.

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