The topic of reforming the criminal justice system has become a focal point in recent times, with the United States facing challenges related to institutional discrimination, extensive imprisonment, law enforcement misconduct, and other moral dilemmas within the system. Advocates for reform are pushing for adjustments to policies and procedures in order to establish a more equitable and righteous system. This essay will outline and discuss the underlying issues prompting the call for reform, the debates surrounding it, perspectives from both sides, the writer’s stance, and knowledge acquired from delving into this subject.
Historical Background
Although the goal of the legal system is to maintain public safety and fairness, in reality, it has unfairly focused on and penalized minority groups and individuals with low income in the United States over the years through unjust laws, policing methods, court processes, and sentencing protocols (Peak & Madensen-Herold, 2019). The campaign against drugs that started in the 1970s resulted in a significant increase in imprisonment, particularly among African Americans. Currently, the United States has the highest rate of incarceration worldwide, with more than 2 million people in prison (Peak & Madensen-Herold, 2019).
Problems Driving Reform
There are a number of important issues that are driving the push for change. Persistent racial gaps exist, as African Americans are imprisoned at a rate five times higher than whites despite similar crime rates across races—clear proof of deep-rooted prejudice (Peak & Madensen-Herold, 2019). The number of individuals behind bars has increased by more than 500% since the 1970s due to the “War on Drugs,” primarily affecting non-violent drug offenders and causing harm to families (Kubrin & Tublitz, 2022). Approximately 1,000 civilians are killed by police each year, with minority groups being disproportionately impacted and few law enforcement officers ever being held accountable (Peak & Madensen-Herold, 2019). An estimated 2-5% of inmates are innocent but have been wrongly convicted as a result of inadequate legal representation and misconduct during investigations (Peak & Madensen-Herold, 2019). More than half of released prisoners commit new offences within three years, in part due to challenges faced when reintegrating into society after being incarcerated (Kubrin & Tublitz, 2022).
The Controversy Explained
Criminal justice reform remains controversial as it requires the reconsideration of the long-standing perceptions that “crime hardens” (Kubrin & Tublitz, 2022). The Conservatives stick to the argument that lower forces and bans will endanger public safety. Police unions shield officer power by influencing within-reach accountability attempts. Private prison lobbyists tend to lobby for policies that allow continued high incarceration rates and that tie them with their earnings. Aside from penalizing the system and policing, the reform demands that huge tax payer’s funds be used for prevention programmes and rehabilitation. The bottom line is that citizens and policymakers need to achieve the right balance between safety and justice concerns. Debates touch on the best proportions of punishment to rehabilitation.
Arguments for and Against
The proponents of reform say it is a system that provides a fairer set-up that supports human rights. Elimination of imprisonment in terms of economics ceases financial strain while, in many cases, breaking the intergenerational cycle of imprisonment. Police accountability builds and sustains relations with the community. One of the most important reasons for preventing wrongful convictions is that it is a moral obligation. However, opponents would say that if the policies become milder, the drugs will increase, and the violence will also increase. The enforcement of strong and effective punishments will discourage crimes better than rehabilitation, according to the supporters of this view. An officer who was guilty of misconduct could lose the proactivity that helped him deter the crime. They argue it as having bugs in a system that guarantees that society functions in the way it was intended.
Authors Position
The authors are ardent advocates of criminal justice reform. Although no system, however well it is designed, can offer a perfect solution, the current models of racism, abdication towards police arrest, and the imminent prison population are ethically wrong, fiscally reckless and destructive to society. The reform is the only practical solution that can help minimize systemic injustices, facilitate individual reintegration, improve police-community interaction, and bring impartial justice into effect.
Supporting Argument
I advocate reform since the purpose of the criminal justice system – which is to deliver justice fairly – has been distorted to an oppressive instrument specifically targeting minorities and the poor. Eliminating discriminatory practices, reducing jailing rates and recidivism, providing quality public defence, and increasing accountability will set the system on the right course and make sure that the most vulnerable are protected from harm. Financial reform is not only morally sound, but it also reduces the astronomical economic burden of mass incarceration. Such a system can create a better democratic society by combining treatment, restorative justice and prevention of crime instead of drastic punishment.
Conclusion
Finally, the debate on criminal justice reform stems from society being forced to accept the grim realities of deeply rooted inequality, racism, police militarization, and the failure of mass incarceration. Reform demands empathy from the citizens for the marginalized and acknowledges their past actions as “tough on crime” being counterproductive. This topic analysis showed another face of the public interest in safety, justice and civil rights. The show had revealed, by the light of day, how deeply entrenched biases created a justification for unfairness. However, I progressively, and with much conviction, concluded that radical transformation was morally too imperative as well as too urgent for us to consider it anymore a mere side issue, though it was, and still is, rather a matter of hard work for us to change attitudes and institutions. It is crucial, however, that we change the criminal justice system if we want society to move forward in the right direction.
References
Kubrin, C. E., & Tublitz, R. (2022). How to Think about Criminal Justice Reform: Conceptual and Practical Considerations. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 47(6), 1050–1070. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-022-09712-6
Peak, K. J., & Madensen-Herold, T. D. (2019). A Brief Introduction to Criminal Justice: Practice and Process. In Google Books. SAGE Publications. https://books.google.co.ke/books/about/A_Brief_Introduction_to_Criminal_Justice.html?id=O_C9DwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
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