busybee 
Group: Members
Posts: 2510
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Dec. 13 2009,1:42 pm |
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QUOTE Sure, there are some that get second, third, and fourth chances and still don't get it. They continue to hurt people, rob, steal, etc. Some that I can think of I wouldn't mind seeing in prison forever, or at least MANY years until they grow out of it.
Criminal offenders who commit crimes against victims don't ever "get it" or "grow out of it." In order for that to even remotely come close to being possible the offender must have the ability to recognize their own irrational thinking patterns.
I do understand what you are stating in a sense though because with increased age it does appear criminals who victimize others don't commit as many crimes. We might believe they've changed, when in actuality they've just gotten better at mastering their manipulations and power plays upon others to stay out of trouble legally.
QUOTE If you ask me, many times the wrong person ends up in jail because of another making a false police report. This is a big part of why I'm such an advocate for Rights of the accused.
I can't wrap my mind around someone wanting to accuse another of a crime against them. There is no excuse, justification or reason for cruelty like that!
I will never dispute that this happens, because I have known a couple of people who have accused wrongfully in a quest for revenge. I have not known of anyone who has been put in jail because of someone wrongfully accusing them of a crime though.
QUOTE I think you need to be careful in judging the legal system by if the victim was happy with the result or not. How many times have you seen people on this forum sound as if the only way they'd be satisfied is if the perpetrator was castrated with a rusty spoon and hung in the public square.
I didn't mean it like that at all so if it came across that way, I'll try to explain it better.
Of course it's important to have checks and balances in place to assure an accused offender isn't being wronged by their accuser or the legal system process. I don't dispute this.
What I mean by if a victim is satisfied with the results, I am referring to the legal process as it applies to them, the whole process from start to finish.
When we speak of the right to due process, a vigorous defense, the right to a trial (speedy or not), one thing I don't think many recognize is how the system is equally obligated to do the same for crime victims.
The fact is, as soon as someone is accused and probable cause is determined that a crime has occurred against another, the victims are placed in the same position as the accused.
This happens because it's rare for an accused to admit guilt when guilty and thus begins their minimizations, blaming and accusations against their victims, others or a situation that they believe made them commit the crime, and also their power plays within the system.
It is of equal importance that accurate police reporting, thorough investigations and the handling of evidence be "perfect" for crime victims, not just for the accused offender.
It is also of equal importance that crime victims are given the right to knowledge about every step and decision made by the prosecution about the crime committed against them, just as the accused offender has.
Sadly, inaccuracies, mistakes, lack of being informed of decisions made by prosecution, etc... is not something crime victims get to present to the Courts, even though this affects them negatively, just as these same problems can negatively affect the accused and their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
This is how re-victimization occurs for victims of crime. It's real, not imagined or personal failures of crime victims to get on with their life, although this is often what society chooses to opinion about it if a victim speaks out.
As for others wanting to throw the book at an accused without full knowledge of the evidence and facts, I don't agree with that anymore than you do.
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