Compare and contrast two of the perspectives on justice. Which perspective would you advocate, and why?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The rehabilitation perspective sees the justice system as a means of caring for and treating people who cannot manage themselves. It assumes that people are at the mercy of social, economic, and interpersonal conditions and interactions and argues that government programs can help reduce crime at both a societal and individual level. The restorative justice perspective may follow similar views in relation to the rehabilitation perspective but instead of fixing the individual the restorative justice perspective argues that the true purpose of the criminal justice system is to promote a peaceful and just society by resolving conflict between criminal and victim, which should take place in the community in which it originated. The goal is to enable the offender to appreciate the damage, make amends, and be reintegrated back into society. Often times this may not occur until rehabilitation has occurred. The crime control perspective argues that the proper role of the justice system is to prevent crime through judicious use of criminal sanctions. This perspective questions the criminal justice system's ability to rehabilitate offenders and argues that legal technicalities should not help the guilty go free. On the other hand, due process proponents argue that the greatest concern of the justice system should be providing fair and equitable treatment to those accused of crime. Its advocates believe that legal principle of fairness and due process must be upheld. They also point out that the justice system needs to remain an adversarial process. The nonintervention perspective emphasizes the least intrusive treatment possible, including decarceration, diversion, and decriminalization. The equal justice perspective suggests that all people should be treated equally before the law, which is best achieved through individual discretion.