The criminal justice system Essay

To the best of its ability, the criminal justice system deals with offenses to guarantee that both the victim and the offenders receive justice. In the modern era, the rights of victims, including those who require specialized treatment, are fairly protected. By integrating society’s beliefs, strategies have been set in place to improve service delivery. However, the established policies do not adequately safeguard the rights of both perpetrators and victims. In comparison to the limited platforms accessible for offenders, the victims are given better opportunities through the programs that are currently in place to ensure the protection of their rights. Moreover, reforms in the present day are imperative in protecting the rights of all individuals and ensuring that the criminal courts are not only meant for the punishment of offenders.There needs to be better ways of rehabilitating and integrating reformed individuals back to the society.

Criminal Justice

In the last few decades, the change in legislation policies has ensured some form of fairness to the victims. The establishment of the victim’s rights movement brought a significant shift in the criminal justice system (Cassell, Mitchell & Edwards, 2014). The crimes victims are provided with notifications about the court proceedings increasing their confidence in the justice system. Additionally, professionalism has been ensured in the victim services such as the adoption of the competent cultural standards in the Oregon division. This standards that helped employees in the criminal justice system to maintain an updated knowledge of the beliefs in the community they served (Allen, 2014).

However, in my opinion, the justice system has not been effective in protecting the rights of both the victims and the offenders. Laws have been established to safeguard the rights of the victims compared to those of the criminals (Heber, 2014). For example in closing the loopholes, the justice system looks for all ways possible to prevent the offenders from receiving the justice they deserve (Cassell, Mitchell & Edwards, 2014). Abolishing the insanity defense, in this case, may lead to the prosecution of individuals who committed crimes without the intention or under the influence of a medical condition that requires treatment rather that conviction in a court of law. However, it is important the offenders pay for their actions, but their rights are respected all the same.

On the other hand, the criminal justice has provided sufficient programs to accommodate victims though they are not fully utilised in protecting their rights. Consequently, there is the provision of well-trained staff to offer legal advice and counseling for the victims (Allen, 2014). The programs have also been drafted in such a way that the victims have access to healthcare in both immediate and long-term injuries. The law has thus set up the necessary programs to protect all the victims including those who require specialized treatment (Heber, 2014). Moreover, the specialized populations in the courts have received fair treatment through the establishment of programs in their favor. The programs include protection orders that prevent the offenders from getting into contact with the victim.

Funk (2015) indicates that the reforms in understanding the rights of victims are essential for the advocacy at the international criminal courts. In this way, their rights will be respected and the best decision made in the given case (Funk, 2015). Additionally, the reform to rehabilitate the offenders is necessary to reduce the level of crimes and reintegrate the individuals back to the society. For instance, the use of parole and probation programs enhances effectiveness in the rehabilitation of the criminals (Raz, 2004). It includes intensive supervision and counseling sessions to improve the situation of the offender and offer hope for the recovery.

Alternatively, the reforms are provided through the kind of punishment available to the offenders by reducing the harsh mandatory sentences. As such, those that commit crimes will be offered hope for a better future through rehabilitation and reintegration into the society (Raz, 2004). Punishment should not be inflicted for the sole reason of causing pain but to ensure that the criminal justice system is efficient in reducing the level of crimes within the society. The court needs to provide a basis for which those that change their behaviors through rehabilitation can be accepted back to the society while their actions is monitored.

References

Allen, M. (2014). Victim services in Canada, 2011/2012. Juristat: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 1.

Cassell, P. G., Mitchell, N. J., & Edwards, B. J. (2014). Crime Victims’ Rights during Criminal Investigations: Applying the Crime Victims’ Rights Act before Criminal Charges Are Filed. J. Crim. L. & Criminology, 104, 59.

Funk, T. M. (2015). Victims’ rights and advocacy at the International Criminal Court. Oxford University Press.

Heber, A. (2014). Good versus bad? Victims, offenders and victim-offenders in Swedish crime policy. European Journal of Criminology, 11(4), 410-428.

Raz, J. (2004). Incorporation by law. Legal Theory, 10(01), 1-17.