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How did Beccaria connect punishment with justice and prevention of crime?

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In his influential treatise Crimes and Punishment, Cesare Beccaria grounded his approach to criminal justice in the utilitarian principle that government policy should aim for the greatest good for the greatest number.1

Beccaria argued that the primary objective of a penal system is the prevention of crime rather than mere retribution. He asserted that justice is best served when penalties are only severe enough to maintain security and order; any punishment exceeding this necessity is considered tyranny.1

Central to his philosophy was the belief that the effectiveness of the law depends more on the certainty of punishment than on its severity. By advocating for penalties that are scaled proportionally to the offense and rejecting barbaric practices like torture, Beccaria sought to create a rational system that deters criminal behavior while upholding human dignity. His work also marked him as a foundational figure in the movement to abolish capital punishment, as he believed such extreme measures were unnecessary for effective social control.123