The current research aims to investigate the effectiveness of deterrence in the light of three indicators of severity, swiftness and certainty of punishment in Herat city. The methodology of this research is a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. At first, a quantitative method was considered, in which the statistical population is law students in Herat University, who were classified based on random sampling and using Cochran's formula, 270 people were selected as the final volume. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, whose validity and reliability were confirmed. The findings showed that all three variables of severity, swiftness and certainty cause deterrence. The variable that has the most important role in deterrence is the swiftness of the punishment, after that, the severity and finally the certainty causes deterrence. After conducting a quantitative study, the statistical findings were evaluated by the qualitative method. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with a number of judges, police forces and university professors in order to carry out a survey and analyze. According to experts, considering that the Afghan society is a punitive society, it seems that all three variables cause deterrence. However, in analyzing the impact of three variables, the elite community believes that certainty plays the most important role in deterrence. Perhaps the conflict between the opinion of the elites and the statistical community can be justified in the light of the political developments in Afghanistan.