Opinion

Toward True Justice
By Rod Amis

For my debut contribution here at CrimeNZ, I should like to propose a three-point programme for addressing the inmate experience – and that of their victims – and attempt to produce a new definition of how we look at the criminal justice system in general.  The three points I shall address are re-socialization, responsibility and remuneration.

First of all, as referenced in the podcast will take you toward, I am a firm believer in the concept that criminals need to face that they have made a tragic mistake, in whatever form, which damaged themselves and society. Made to face that fact and accept it, they then need to be educated to remember that they are not the crime they committed but remain members of society and humans being.  That's point one: re-socialization.

The best way to achieve this end is two-fold and speaks to my second two points.  Once made to accept that they must pay for their mistakes, we must make these individuals pay in two forms.  The first has to do with facing the responsibility of their actions.

Besides being deprived of their liberty through incarceration, it is my belief that programmes which have perpetrators meet with the victims of their crimes and fully address the consequences of what they have done are productive and should be more widespread.  The victim then does not become someone who wasn't there – as in a house break-in – or someone who is unknown – as in a purse-snatching – but another actual human being to whom the perpetrator is made accountable, face to face.  This speaks to taking responsibility for the consequences of one's action.

Admittedly, in the case of more violent and heinous crimes, such as murder or rape, the efficacy of this approach is questionable. But the vast majority of prisoners, internationally, are incarcerated for non-violent crimes.  Most violent crimes occur between people who actually know each other to begin with.  Thus, the second part of the suggested program contains certain validity and would move us, as a civilized society, closer to improving order and rehabilitation.

The third point is the most crucial.  Inmates should be allowed, as suggested in the podcast, to reconnect with society by doing productive work which allows them to make reparations to their victims. This last point is crucially important if our criminal justice systems are to be meaningful at all.

I make the latter statement for two reasons:

• First, because simply warehousing individuals in a "crime school," which is how most prison systems should be viewed today, is wrong-headed.

• Second, because if we mean to produce humane and productive members of society, rather than recidivists, we should begin while they are being re-educated, and made to face their responsibility to society.  That begins with making them literally (as in monetarily) pay for what they have done.

I suspect that friends on both the left and the right will disagree with the approach I am suggesting.  I welcome their comments and the conversation.  I would posit now that we have to start somewhere other than the warehousing and crime school system which currently exists in most countries.

Here is why.  If you look at the familiar symbol of the scales of Justice being held by that august lady they do not suggest that justice is retribution but rather that it is recompense.

This week's opinion comes from Rod Amis, author of "Katrina and the Lost City of New Orleans" and editor of "Africa Fresh: Voices from the First Continent;" former political consultant, freelance journalist and business consultant.  He is publisher of the Web Blog G21: Lightning Strikes.