Criminal Justice

 Always Room for Improvment

 The United States system of justice is supposedly one of the best in the world, but I question it in practice. We decry the terrible crime in our country. People feel they must threaten certain freedoms in our nation to correct the problem. The problem does not exist within the exercise of our freedoms. The vast majority of people use their freedom without breaking any laws. We have sufficient laws within this country to deal with crime. Why pass more laws to restrict more freedom, to create more criminals? A criminal's "profession" is breaking the law as it exists, as it will exist. We need no more laws. We need enforcement; we need a justice system that caters more to the offended not the offender.

 I am writing primarily of violent offenders, offenders whose parole back into society all too often leads back to crime. I have heard the terms "mandatory parole", if a person has committed a violent crime there should be no such term as mandatory parole. A violent offender should serve his time, not repeat his crime.

 As for younger offenders, I understand the concern of people when it comes to jailing younger offenders with adults. Perhaps more facilities should be created for young offenders. The time has come when lessons must be learned. When any offender knows that he has committed a crime, he must pay a price, perhaps probation is enough but not always. Parent's sympathy toward a child is understandable, but a parent may not always be objective. All too often a youth uses their age as an escape route. An escape thus given is often seen as a sign to other youths that they can get away with it to.

 Justice is not an exact science and is skewed by laws that are not always fair or just. The system is sometimes weak and sometimes to harsh. It seems with the violent offender it is the weakest. What is clear is that our system needs an overhaul that the abundance of laws needs to be trimmed and clarified. It is also clear that the honest citizens should not lose any freedoms for a system too weak to deal with the real criminals.