Both Uses of

sanction
in
Change of Heart, by Picoult

To be jumped into the gang, you had to kill someone sanctioned by the Brotherhood—a black man, a Jew, a homosexual, or anyone else whose existence was considered an affront to your own.†

And Pogie—a probate—had jumped at the chance to earn his bones by carrying out a murder sanctioned by the Aryan Brotherhood.†
*

Definitions:

(1) (sanction as in: cannot sanction such behavior)
formal approval

Ironically, this word has contradictory meanings that are frequently used. When selecting words for an audience who may not be sure of this word's contextual meaning, consider substituting a word like endorse for this sense of sanction.
(2) (sanction as in: sanctions against them)
formal penalty

This word has contradictory meanings that are frequently used. When selecting words for an audience who may not be sure of this word's contextual meaning, consider substituting words like penalize for this sense of sanction.