At many middle and high schools, students who plagiarize receive a verbal reprimand and a failing grade on the assignment. Other schools, such as Dublin High School in California, fail student plagiarists and force them to withdraw from the course.
At the college and graduate level, the punishments for plagiarism are much stiffer. At Princeton and Harvard, undergraduate students found guilty of plagiarism receive a failing grade, a one-year suspension and a permanent note in their files. Other schools, such as the University of Virginia and the military academies, immediately expel student plagiarists.
At most jobs, plagiarism is highly frowned upon, particularly within journalism, freelance writing, academic and legal careers. Journalists such as Jayson Blair and Gerald Posner have lost their jobs due to plagiarism. College professors who plagiarize are usually forced to resign, and lawyers who plagiarize are disciplined by their state bar associations. Even if plagiarists do not lose their jobs, human resources will usually note the instance within personnel files. This note may haunt the plagiarist when seeking a new job or promotion.
In criminal law, plagiarism is usually considered a misdemeanor, "punishable by fines" and "up to" a year in prison. However, under certain state and federal laws it can also constitute a felony. According to Plagiarism.org, receiving more than $2,500 from a plagiarized work is a felony, punishable by "up to $250,000 in fines and up to 10 years in jail." In civil law, the original author can sue the plagiarist for violation of copyright.
The personal punishments for plagiarizing can be much worse than the academic, workplace or legal punishment. It takes years to establish a reputation, and a single instance of plagiarism can tarnish a good name. Even if the plagiarist is not expelled, sued, jailed or fired, he may permanently lose the respect of his colleagues and friends.
Plagiarism also punishes the plagiarist personally by denying them of learning opportunities. Students, employees and writers gain critical thinking, language, reading and research skills through writing. However, plagiarizing denies them the chance to develop such skills. Lack of these skills may prevent the plagiarist from achieving personal and professional growth.