Punishment in this article is defined as incarceration rates. The punitive histories of Italy and the United States were compared by cultural traditions in both societies. It was discovered that Italy was more forgiving and believed in rehabilitation, whereas in the United States it was more vengeful and believed strongly in the idea of retribution. These findings were influenced by different types of concepts and experiences i.e. religion and cultural rhetoric that shaped these philosophies of punishment. Further, it was determined that political and social conditions play a crucial role as well. Overall, it was concluded that mutual feedback between historical conditions and cultural choices are necessary. Graph, notes, and references