Shame Sanction Law and Legal Definition
Shame sanction refers to a criminal sanction that is designed to stigmatize or disgrace a convicted offender. It also alerts the public about the conviction of such an offender. A shame sanction makes it public about the crime an offender committed. An example is to post a sign in an offender’s yard stating “convicted child molester lives here.” Shame sanction is also termed as shame sentence, scarlet letter punishment, and scarlet letter sentence.
Shame sanctions are historically regarded as punishment. [ State v. Bare, 677 S.E.2d 518 (N.C. Ct. App. 2009)]
