People who believe that they will be caught if they commit crime are the ones most likely to be deterred from committing criminal acts. What element of deterrence does this reflect

certainty of punishment

Explanation:

In simple words, Certainness of penalty effectively means that deterrence occurs if a criminal offence is performed. Therefore, to discourage criminals their penalty must be quick. This concept is based on the theory that Too custodial sentence is unfair, and unsevere punishment does not dissuade offenders from committing crimes.

Certainness has a larger effect on prevention than penalty intensity. Analysis underlines the much more important role which certainty serves in prevention than intensity - it is the likelihood about being captured that dissuades an individual from breaking the law, not really the apprehension of becoming prosecuted or the magnitude of the penalty.