Adopting Alternatives to the Traditional Criminal Justice System

The following proposal to President Obama is expected to meet his approval.   He would ensure that it is followed, seeing that it is meant to improve the criminal justice system of the United States, thereby enhancing the living standard of the Americans.   It would be easy to pass this proposal with the American public as well.   After all, they do not desire to be held in jails for crimes they have not committed, and neither do they want the lives of fellow Americans destroyed through the traditional criminal justice system.Adopting Humane Crime Deterrance TechniquesA popular theory in management sciences, the Contingency Theory, simply states: ‘It depends!’   Each and every individual exhibiting criminal behavior cannot be jailed, just as each and every victim of abuse does not wish for all perpetrators to be jailed.After all, even children may exhibit behaviors that appear uncivilized, if not criminal; for example, an unruly child in school may smash his frie nd’s head with a football.   Still, a child is a child – at the lower end of the learning curve.This is the reason why alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system, such as shaming, peacemaking strategies and restorative justice are especially recommended for juvenile delinquents (Sherman & Strang, 1997a).As a matter of fact, research has shown that young offenders are most likely to change their problem behaviors through restorative justice techniques rather than court proceedings (Sherman & Strang, 1997a).   Adult drink drivers, too, are very likely to change their problem behavior because of the humaneness of restorative justice (Sherman & Strang, 1997a).Of course, the same has not been said for serial killers or rapists.   After all, there was a reason for the Biblical rule: ‘Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth.’   Just as all types of crimes cannot go unpunished, all types of criminals do not require the harshness of the traditional jus tice system, defined by the terminology of â€Å"punishment, zero tolerance, criminal personality (Wormer, 2002).†The United States jails more individuals than any other place in the world, â€Å"perhaps half a million more than Communist China (Kemp, 2000).†Ã‚   It is not surprising, therefore, that our prisons are overcrowded.   Yet, the victims do not only desire for the perpetrators of crimes to be punished but also shamed so as to keep them from criminal activities in future.Shaming, peacemaking strategies, and restorative justice also carry elements of punishment.   These alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system allow the perpetrator of a crime to be known to all concerned.   However, these alternatives to the traditional justice system are less harsh.What if the person who is said to have committed the crime is innocent?   If a blamed person is truly innocent, the traditional criminal justice system that punishes him or her is a sham at be st.   On the contrary, alternatives to the traditional justice system, e.g. shaming, peacemaking strategies and restorative justice, are more apt to allow for the truth to be known.Then again, the use of humane alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system depends on the extent of justice required by the victim and the seriousness of the crime.   Unfortunately, the traditional criminal justice system often turns a blind eye to itself when it punishes innocent people, when intentions are misjudged, and innocent people are stigmatized as criminals for the rest of their lives.There are countless instances of such crimes perpetrated by the traditional criminal justice system, which is the very reason why alternatives to the traditional system must be thoroughly researched and applied when needed.Seeing that law enforcement personel, lawyers and judges too may misjudge people or hold them for crimes that they are not responsible for – considering the traditional crim inal justice system as a hard and fast rule appears as a crime in itself.   What is more, at times when the traditional criminal justice system fails to deliver, it makes a mockery of justice.There are other loopholes in the traditional criminal justice system as well.   Numberless severely mentally disturbed people, also known as psychopaths, insist on repeating their crimes.   Psychologists offer defense on the behalf of such individuals.It is still debatable whether insanity is an acceptable defense.   If a psychopath constantly harasses an individual, the victim may naturally want the mentally ill person to be punished, if not held behind bars in a mental hospital.Peacemaking strategies, such as getting a â€Å"respected community leader† to arbitrate or mediate disputes, resolve family troubles, and correct behavior by allowing the criminal to perform community service may not work in such cases (Neilson, 1999, 108).   But, even the traditional criminal justice system does not serve its purpose in all cases.It is, therefore, best to consider a mix and match of various crime deterrance techniques.   Unless a young offender is severely mentally ill, alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system, such as shaming, peacemaking strategies and restorative justice, may work best.Unless it is a rape, robbery or murder case, alternatives to the traditional system must also work best on adult offenders that have never received a legal notice in their lives.All that the victim desires is justice.   As Sherman & Strang (1997b) have maintained, if the perpetrator of a crime agrees not to repeat the offence, and manages to keep his or her word, it is perfectly correct to allow the individual to change his or her behavior by realizing his or her folly.   This is the reason why social workers are firm believers in alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system (Wormer).The Contingency Theory should continue to play a central role in the justice system.   Every case brought before law enforcement personnel and courts of law is unique, and must be treated thus.   If everybody is treated as an equal, the criminal justice system would make a mockery of itself playing the game of three blind mice – the ones given the task of meting out justice, the offenders, and the victims.Sane people do not want to be shamed or punished, and if they have mistakenly offended others, are usually prepared to mend their ways especially when mediators are involved in the case.   Human beings have a natural affinity with each other.Almost everybody in the world shrieks in terror at crimes perpetrated against humanity.   Therefore, it is most reasonable to consider the traditional criminal justice system alongside the alternatives to the system.   More correctly, it is necessary to put together the alternatives with the traditional criminal justice system and use the correct measures based on the facts of each case.J ust as everybody is not dishonest, all individuals cannot be expected to have the same level of intelligence or sense of responsibility toward society.ReferencesKemp, R. B. (2000, Mar). The U.S. Penal System: Restorative and/or Retributive Justice.Woodstock Report. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, from http://woodstock.georgetown.edu/publications/report/r-fea61a.htm.Neilson, M. O. (1999). Navajo Nation Courts, Peacemaking, and Restorative Justice Issues.Journal of Legal Pluralism, Vol. 44. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, fromhttp://www.jlp.bham.ac.uk/volumes/44/nielsen-art.pdf.Sherman, L. W., & Strang, H. (1997a, Apr). Restorative Justice and Deterring Crime.Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, fromhttp://www.aic.gov.au/rjustice/rise/working/risepap4.html.———————————–. (1997b, Apr). The right kind of shame for crime prevention.Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, from h ttp://www.aic.gov.au/rjustice/rise/working/risepap1.html.Wormer, K. V. (2002, Jan 7). Restorative Justice and Social Work. Social Work Today, Vol. 2,No. 1. Retrieved Nov 28, 2008, fromhttp://www.restorativejustice.org/resources/docs/vanwormer/.

Income inequality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Income inequality - Essay Example The rich tend to earn more income than the poor, and so more wealth seems to fall majorly in the hands of a few rich people while the majority earn very little. One’s earnings depend on several factors such as the demand and supply for the person’s skills. As the factors influence wages, they end up affecting the distribution of a country’s income. With income inequality, the rich tend to earn higher income while the poor earn low incomes. That differentiates the poor from the rich. Such inequality has several impacts on the economy and the population. To measure inequality, economists use some measures. Through one such measure, they compare household incomes through surveys. The process involves a comparison of the sources of income and the consumption patterns of the households that participate in the survey. To rank individuals in accordance to per capita income for each household, economists subtract direct taxes from the total income for the household. They then divide the amount by the number of individuals in the household. The calculation and the ranking give the Gini coefficient. The Gini coefficient is a method applicable to the measurement of inequality. The Gini coefficient has a range of 0 to 100 whereby 0 represents a period when everyone has the same income (Milanovic, 2011 p.7). The income inequality in a country would generally range between 25 and 60 in the Gini range. In the assessment of income inequality, household surveys come out as the best instruments. However, they have some drawbacks. At times, the rich may refuse to participate in interviews or at times they may understate their incomes. Another useful measure of income inequality is the Lorenz curve. With this measure, economists seek to determine how cumulative percentage of households links to cumulative percentage of income (Mankiw and Taylor, 2014 p.386). By plotting the cumulative percentage of income against

Effective Management and Leadership in Hospitals Research Paper - 1

Effective Management and Leadership in Hospitals - Research Paper Example By describing the objectives of organization visibly, there would be no waste of time, effort and money. Management alters disorganized resources of human factor, machinery, money etc. into the valuable enterprise. These resources are synchronized, focused and organized in such a manner that initiative work towards the accomplishment of goals. Moreover, it inspires the optimal application of resources - Management employs all the physical & human resources effectively. This leads to effectiveness in management. Management allows us to achieve maximum utilization of limited resources by choosing its finest possible alternate use in business from out of a range of uses. It employs professionals and these services result in the proper use of their abilities, knowledge, and proper utilization and evade wastage. If employees and machines are manufacturing at their maximum, there will be no underemployment of any resources. Management also diminishes costs as it gets maximum results through minimum input by proper planning and by using minimum input and getting maximum output. Management uses physical, financial and human resources in a manner that leads to the best combination. This aids in the reduction of costs. In addition to that, management creates rigorous organizations as there is no overlying of energies through well-defined and synchronised roles. To establish a sound organizational arrangement is one of the objectives of management which is in sync with the organizational objectives and for execution of this, it launches effective authority & responsibility. Effective management creates equilibrium as it allows the organization to endure varying environment. It stays in collaboration with this changing environment. It is also accountable for growth as well as the survival of a business (Hesketh & Laidlaw, 2010).

Defining Love Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Defining Love - Essay Example The word "love" has origin in the English language. Lufu in the Old English was related to the Frisian luve, German luba, and Gothic lubo. The Scandinavians have used the word lof and Latin lubet. In the form we have now "love" was recorded from the English writings in the 8th century (Frequently Ask Questions). Each nation gives a different name to love, but the essence remains the same. What exactly is love Love is a feeling, it would be more appropriate to say, a combination of positive feelings and emotions that make a person happy. Plato has noted that "at the touch of love everybody becomes a poet" (Famous Love Quotes). When people are in love the world seems to be more colorful, pleasant place to live, the person in love is smiling and does not pay attention to the problems and negative moments. Plato has introduced the concept of platonic love meaning that two individuals, a man and a woman, being in love should get emotionally and spiritually close, without sexual relations. He believed that sex can destroy the emotional unity. Platonic love is different from love based on passion when lovers seek not only emotional but also physical unity with each other.

Immigration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Immigration - Research Paper Example It is used to describe certain phenomena that are a common place in the societies. It has been described as ‘the expression of individual social life and thought through language’ (Mangaraj, para.1). Literature then becomes an important tool through which critics in a society can express their criticism on a given social issue. This field of art is important because it touches the lives of individuals, speaks to the individuals, and has universal applications (Lombardi, para.4). Whether one uses poems, drama, narrative tales, and many other genres of literature, the artist always reflects on some life story that has occurred or is likely to be witnessed. Literature and Immigration Immigration refers to the migration of individuals into a given country to be come residents of the country. Several reasons can make individuals to leave their native country to travel to foreign countries. Political upheavals, poor social set-ups, and unfavorable economic conditions are among the major factors that can force an individual out of his native country into a foreign country. This movement of individuals into another country also has challenges for the immigrants. The individuals are forced to adopt the culture of the natives of this destination country. Moreover, the immigrants are often likely to be subject of prejudice and may not enjoy all the fundamental human rights while in the foreign state. Literature has been used to tell of the ugly scenarios that immigrants encounter while in the foreign countries. While they flee their native countries to seek better life (socially, politically, or economically), the immigrants often get other barriers to their anticipated fruitful life. They suffer the consequences of the nearly cut link with their family members back at home. Besides, to minimize the level of prejudice on their children, the immigrants assimilate the children into the foreign culture. One of the literary works that express the challenges of im migration is â€Å"Under the Same Moon,† a movie by Kate Del Castillo. This gives insight into the problems encountered by young children left behind by their parents who have migrated into the US to look for jobs to support their families. Another literary work is a poem â€Å"Immigrants† by Pat Mora. In the poem, Mora describes how the immigrants are obliged to have their children grow completely in the foreign culture so that they can be accepted in the society. Under the Same Moon Under the same Moon is a Mexican-American movie that features a nine-year old Mexican moppet who has been separated from his mother since he was five. In order to provide a better life for her son, the mother, Rosario, migrated illegally to the United States from Mexico. Looking for employment is one of the many reasons that see several immigrants into the United States. Rosario gets a job as a domestic worker in Los Angeles while the nine-year old Carlitos stays with his ageing and ailin g grandmother who eventually passes away (The Internet Movie Database, para.1). Even though they are separated, the mother and son have tried to keep in touch. Rosario and Carlitos have been communicating through phone, his mother using the same pay phone every week (Catsoulis, para.2). This would later enable the boy to locate his mother in Los Angeles. After the death of his grandmother,

Cumulative paper based off e-book provided Essay

Cumulative paper based off e-book provided - Essay Example My expectations were fulfilled when I read the chapter thoroughly as all core issues about crime and crime control were there in the chapter in detail. After reading the chapter, I learned the types of crimes occurring in the United States of America, as well as the some of the basic laws and official policies regarding crime control. The thing I liked the most in the chapter were the tables of statistics showing the types of crimes and number of victimizations for year some particular years. I also liked the tables showing changes in the rate of crimes from one year to another. However, I would have liked this chapter to provide a detailed knowledge of the ways to control the rate of crimes. Chapter 2: The second chapter of the book builds upon the knowledge shared in the first chapter of the book. This chapter includes a discussion on various perspectives of crime control and crime control strategies. These perspectives provide a clear knowledge of the significance of crime control for establishing peace. The chapter also includes a detailed discussion on the causes and consequences of crimes, as well as draws attention towards the limitations of retribution incapacitation and incapacitation of retribution. The chapter also includes a discussion on the basic goals and objectives of crime control and crime control strategies, such as, retribution, rehabilitation, incapacitation and deterrence. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about the perspectives of critics and supporters about different types of sentencing or crime control strategies. I did not have an idea that the chapter would also include a discussion about the causes and consequences of crimes. When I read the chapter thoroughly, my expectations were partially fulfilled as some of the issues that I had in my mind were discussed, such as, perspectives of crimes and crime control strategies, whereas the chapter did not highlight the perspectives of critics and supporters regardi ng appropriateness of sentencing models. After reading the chapter, I learned about the causes and consequences of crimes, as well as about the limitations of adopting different crime control strategies, such as, rehabilitation, incapacitation, and deterrence. The thing I liked in the chapter were the way causes of crimes in a society and their impact on the minds of people and overall society were described. However, I would have liked this chapter to highlight different types of sentencing models and the views of critics on them from different angles. Chapter 3: The third chapter of the book covers the theory of traditional policing and underlying concepts. It discussed whether the strategy of hiring more cops plays a significant role in reducing the number of crimes or not. The chapter also includes a discussion on different approaches that can be used to increase the effectiveness of police, such as, freeing up the resources, continuing with random or reactive policing, private security mechanisms, private policing, use of detectives, and other traditional approaches to policing. I thought of this chapter as if it would be having details about the theory of traditional policing, as well as about the effectiveness of traditional policing in controlling the crime rate in the United States of America. I also thought that the chapter would bring into light the limitations that traditional polic

The Processes Of Social And Family Relations Essay Example for Free

The Processes Of Social And Family Relations Essay Culture refers to a set of attitudes, values, systems and traditions that are shared by some common people in the society. It is what defines a set of people and distinguishes them from another. There is a correlation between culture and behavior. The social upbringing of a child in a family set up would influence her future behavior. The child would recognize that way as the most appropriate one of doing things. On family relations, individualists would become emotional and aggressive. On the ether hand, Collectivists would be emphatic and tolerant people. Career development strategies would influence one’s self confidence or lack of it. Uncertainty of a career of one’ choice may lead to aggression, drug abuse due to frustration and other deviant behaviors in the society. Various stakeholders are involved in career development. These include parents, teachers and counselors. How they approach career development would affect one’s behavior. The difference between individualist and collectivist cultures is that whereas individualists believe in independence, collectivists believe in externality and group work. Political organization is a set / system of the body politic and the government. Within the political environment, there exist checks and balances whereby certain interested parties/groups like the human rights activists and trade unionists keep the government on its toes. This would lead to a reduction of deviance and other social injustices in the community. But depending on whether one is an individualist/ collectivist, political organization would determine how he/she would react to the changes in the political environment. In career development, people with individualist cultures tend to follow what they deem best. Collectivists would consult and their conclusions would encompass external opinions and ideas. Individualism makes one independent-minded who in addition is mesmerized  Ã‚   in eigocentricy. For a collectivist, he is a humble and accommodative person. Advantages of individualism are that one makes autonomous decisions. Decisions are made after they have been widely thought out. However, no single individual is perfect in all aspects. People need each other in society. Internality breeds selfishness and societal discrimination. A collective culture is advantageous in terms of problem solving especially those that determine one’s future trait/behavior. Conflicts are well solved through consultation. One also learns other people’s cultures and this brings about cultural fit in the society. However, collectivism has its own drawbacks. People are different and one may not make concrete judgments and/or resolutions when he/she engages others. This can lead to confusion and lack of independence when solving problems. REFERENCES Clyde Klukholm, Culture and behavior, Free Press of Glencoe, 2006