The Common Good

The United States Justice System has four acknowledged objectives - punishment, rehabilitation, deterrence, and incapacitation. But from the beginning, we have focused most of our resources on punishment. Is this method succeeding in deterring criminals from committing crimes again? Most evidence points towards no. 63% of incarcerated people once released from prison have a habitual relapse into crime. With numbers as high as this, it is clear we need a change.

Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

We must acknowledge the problems with our current justice system and find a way to fix them. By removing criminals from society we are only hindering their ability to become better citizens. Without therapy, direction, and encouragement we are not giving incarcerated people the means to change their lifestyles. This is not to say that we must pamper those who commit crimes, but we do need to shift our focus from punishment to rehabilitation.

With the mind set that change must occur, in this blog I will be exploring ways that we can improve our justice system for the common good for all - the victim, the criminal, and our society as a whole.