#3 Work submitted to Professor Justin Piché In the course Abolitionism and the Criminal Justice System (CRM 4302) Department de Criminology University of Ottawa December 11th 2012 Many individuals believe that the criminal system and its institutions are flawed. These critiques have been brought on by the ineffectiveness of prisons to reform individuals, the ineptness of the system to reduce crime rates, the lack of focus on victims of crimes, as well as the racist, classist
a. The Use and Benefits of Restorative Justice in the Florida Correctional System and How It Can Decrease Racial Disparity Today, despite well-evidenced disproportionality and racial inequality within the criminal justice system, restorative justice practices within the context of race are practically nonexistent. Efforts to enunciate a suitable theory to inspire the potential diversity of restorative justice programs and practices that developed at a slow pace in recent years have confirmed to be
Prison sentences are extraordinarily lengthy, disproportional to the crimes committed, and lacking in consistency throughout the legal system’s application of the punishments. Rather than endorsing a system that inspires growth and modification, the existing criminal justice system in the United States aims felons into lives of poverty and despair. Inmates, through reality television programs, are shown as living lives of ease and prosperity, with little to do besides relaxing in front of
situations that would prove more beneficial than in the court system. For example, the use of family dispute resolution (FDR) in family conflicts whereby the conflict involves children. There is legislation that requires these disputes to undergo FDR with a legitimate effort of dispute resolution before they can file for parenting orders in court (Attorney-General’s Department, n.d.). It also includes situations where individuals want to change a current parent order. There are however exceptions to this law
Education for all; not just the privileged few At the heart of the problem with our prison system, is the Victorian-style institutions which hundreds of thousands are forced to consider is home. These prisons, designed during the industrial revolution, were built to keep the masses under control. Yet, operating in a 21st century country, they are now breeding grounds for crimes, committed by prisoners disillusioned by life. And, these prisons are historically understaffed, unsafe, and arguably, unacceptable
alternative criminal justice responses that were presented after the 1970s were not real alternatives (Tabibi, 2015a). With this they are referring to community justice alternatives generally, and Restorative Justice specifically. The argument here is that Restorative Justice cannot be a real alternative because it is finished and is based on the premises of the old system (Mathiesen, 1974). Restorative Justice is not an alternative because it has not solved the issues surrounding the penal system (Tabibi
Statistics indicate that more than two-thirds of state prisoners are rearrested within three years of their release and half are reincarcerated. High rates of recidivism mean more crime, more victims and more pressure on an already overburdened criminal justice system. A topic of much discussion is what happens when the inmates are released back into society? Are they prepared for the “outside” world? Has the institution done enough to prevent recidivism? It can be said that prison based education is
“Scales of Justice: Defense Counsel and the English Criminal Trial in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries” Beattie, J.M. “Scales of Justice: Defense Counsel and the English Criminal Trial in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. ” Law and History Review 9, no.2 (1991): 221-267. Article Summary J.M Beattie, in “Scales of Justice: Defense Counsel and the English Criminal Trial in the Eighteenth and Nineteen Centuries,” investigates the transformations in English criminal law the 1730s
The book, “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson pleas to fix the current unfair and fragmented system of criminal justice and juvenile justice. The book’s plot focuses majority on Stevenson’s work and his clients. The main narrative tackles the story of Walter McMillan, who was accused of killing a white woman, but despite hard evidence that would prove he’s innocent, is disregarded by the court due to his race. The main issue was not even the lack of care for racial equality in this case, but the fact
founders cherished. Granting this right also makes sense for the country in terms of politics and policy. As prisons have grappled with the explosion in their populations in the past 20 years, allegations of prisoner maltreatment multiply, and criminal justice reform moves to the fore of our political debate, we should consider that one of the best ways to solve these intractable and expensive problems would be to listen to those currently incarcerated—and to allow them to represent themselves in our