Rehabilitation versus Punishment: Rethinking the Criminal Justice System

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Recommended: Restorative justice as a deterrent

In the past, the main topic concerning the Criminal Justice System (CLJ) was, if the type of crime fits the degree of punishment an inmate will receive. Now we are struggling with the best ways to punish criminals. Some people recognize a criminal as defiant and need harsh disciplinary actions. Most correctional officers treat offenders like they are not human beings with remorse. Most of the prison population will be released into the free populations and have a high chance of recidivating. We do not want offenders to recommit crimes because that defeats the purpose of deterrence. Some prisons introduced the idea of rehabilitation as a way to prevent criminals charged with drug offenses from committing more crimes after release. Restorative justice focuses on the …show more content…

Similarly, Zehr discussed these similar restorative justice approaches used in the CLJ system with focusing on fixing broken relationships with the victims who were harmed and the offender taking responsibility. Also, the restorative justice method in prison is gaining popularity at least 300 victim/offender mediation programs have sprung up. These mediation programs give the victim and offender a chance to grow together. When discussing whether restorative justice method is more effective for adults or juveniles, Tusi and Payne and Kelly agreed that restorative justice will be more effective for juveniles rather than adults. However, Payne and Kelly stated that “Restorative justice is best applied in the educational domain rather than in a criminal justice system, due to the close relationships within schools.”() Students spend more time with their peers during school than in their communities. There are plenty of positive and negative social interactions between students daily. Restorative justice in schools offers a disciplinary model that can reduce the frequency of negative events and the severity of

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