Some theorists argue that a justification of criminal punishment presupposes a theory of state power. Although the state is typically assigned the task of inflicting criminal sanctions, the mere fact that the criminal deserves to be punished cannot in itself justify the infliction of punishment by the state, as non-state agents could presumably give people their just deserts. One way of addressing the plea for a theory of state power would be to suggest that state-inflicted sanctions are justified simply on the grounds that the state is more likely than other agents to determine accurately what a wrongdoer justly deserves and to inflict a just sanction on those who deserve it. Hence, the state\u27s role in inflicting criminal sanctions is c...