The article explores the main purposes of punishment, focusing on retribution, general deterrence, and incapacitation. Three experiments were conducted with college students to compare their judgments of punishment based on different factors related to retribution, general deterrence, and incapacitation. The results showed that participants' judgments of punishment varied depending on the factors related to retribution and incapacitation. The findings suggest that judgments of punishment based on retribution are influenced by the moral outrage experienced by the judge, while judgments based on incapacitation are influenced by the perceived need to protect society from the criminal.