The sources and purposes of criminal law is to serve and protect society. The purpose of the criminal law is to guide citizens to follow guidelines and regulations that will give order to society. These guidelines and regulations will try to limit society’s actions that will cause harm to one another citizen or property. The criminal law if violated will provide punishment , sanactions and penalities. There are three primary sources of criminal law in our criminal jsutice system. Common law, Criminal Statutes and Model Penal Code .Common law is a traditional law of an area or region created by judges from individial cases and disputes. Common law changes with time and due to society changes as well.

Criminal statues serves for retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation and protection. The reason for these actions serves multiple purpose for the victim as well as the defendant. Retribution serves the victim as an act of repaying or repairing something that has been damaged to property or personal injuries done to the victim for medical expenses and distress. Deterrence is a goal of the criminal justice sentencing that seeks to inhibt criminal behaviro through the fear of punishment. (Schmalleger, F., 2009, pg.374). Deterence shows scoiety that acts of deviance do have consequences and they will less likely committ crimes because of the fear of pinishment that comes from it.Rehabiliation is used in perspective to curing an offender of his or her criminal tendencies , personality,trying to change their habits. Protection would include incarcartion in a jail or prison. Jails only hold offenders up tp a year. While prisons hold offenders from a year and higher. Incarcartion provides protection for society fro only a short term period for some.Criminal law tries to deter citizens from committing crimes and use law as a deterrence from discouraging people to