The Need For Extreme Criminal Justice Reform In California

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

Magazine Feb 14,
1996) C. By passage of this act, the State of California has acknowledged the
limitations of incarceration as both punishment and a deterrent to criminal
behavior. D. The legislature has in fact declared that "California's criminal
justice system is seriously out of balance in its heavy dependence upon prison
facilities and jails for punishment and its lack of appropriate punishment for
nonviolent offenders and substance abusers who could be successfully treated in
appropriate, less restrictive programs without any increase in danger to the
public"

II. More facts, Opinions and Developmental Ideas

A. In essence, this law proposes a community based system of intermediate
restrictions for non-violent offenders that fall between jail time and
traditional probation such as home detention with electronic monitoring, boot
camps, mandatory community service and victim restitution, day reporting, and
others. B. Pilot programs are to be developed as a collaborative effort ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

minimal
systemic change, and increases public safety and security.

IV. The Proposal

A. "Our current criminal justice system appears to be based upon the Old
Testament proverb that "your eye shall not pity; it shall be life for life, eye
for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." Revenge thus plays a
part of the punishment model." (LA Official Boland) From a societal standpoint,
we expect punishment to prevent the offender and others from further criminal
behavior. Incarceration of offenders as the punishment of choice thus
theoretically provides revenge, individual incapacitation, and restriction.

But I submit that such a philosophical foundation is flawed. Revenge ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: