Justice Defined

Depending on the individual's cultural, religious and moral beliefs, occurrence's one has had with our criminal justice system, and the geographical location one may reside, justice can be defined and interpreted in countless ways. Within this paper I will define "justice" and list examples of how justice can be defined by a victim, society, prosecutor, politicians, and the criminal justice system.

Justice can be defined when the victims of a crime, society as a whole, or how the prosecutor of a case considers a punishment handed down by the courts to be justifiably correct for a particular crime committed by an individual wrongdoer. Unfortunately, justice within the criminal justice system is not the outcome most victims, society and the prosecutor will encounter. The law is what a vast majority of individuals on both sides of the court room will come across not justice.

Justice in my opinion for any victim could best be described by the saying "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." Most victims like receiving some form of retribution or a punishment that allows the victim to bring forth revenge upon the offender. Regrettably, I believe most victims find themselves feeling a sense of further victimization for numerous reasons. A great deal of punishments a vast majority of criminal offenders receive by the courts result from plea bargaining which is allowed by the same legal system designed to punish wrongdoers. On the other hand, a victim may consider a plea bargain deal by the defendant a form of justice, due to the victim believing some form of punishment received is better than no punishment received at all. Another form of justice for a victim or a victim's family and friends would be a case law that was put into effect as a result of a court decision (Doolin, 2007).

Justice forsociety can be displayed in numerous ways. Foremost, society may believe that tax dollars spent on trained professionals, such as law enforcement officers, prosecutors and court appointed attorneys is being used effectively each time the system successfully apprehends and convicts a criminal offender or proves innocence for the accused. This in return, will allow society to acknowledge the fact a crucial-beneficial need for tax dollars or any additional money requested, can be used in order to assist the criminal justice system in operating efficiently as it was designed. Moreover, departments can justify updating and repairing existing equipment and the purchasing of new technology in order to maintain a safe and secure environment.

Justice also provides a sense of security for a vast majority of individuals within a given community, as members believe crime rates are dropping due to effective policing and this in return, allows individuals a further sense of security. Justice may also come in the form of rehabilitative programs that are designed to help individuals with the many problems that exist. Drug treatment-detoxification facilities, educational opportunities, and counseling for psychological and physical abuse can also be defined as a form of justice if these treatments allow an individual to return to a given community in a positive productive manner.

Justice for politicians can come in many forms as well, such as new Bills and laws passed by local, state and federal governments that were created to correct current loopholes within the legal system. Fines are another means of justice that can financially benefit local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and communities. Community based corrections-sanctions and retribution can also be a form of justice as these punishments force the criminal to pay out-of-pocket expenses for certain equipment needed, such as tracking devices or treatment programs. These punishments alleviate the overall prison population which saves a great deal of tax money that would be needed to provide one the necessities needed to incarcerate. Moreover, community-based-corrections allow the individual to remain productive amongst family members and society (Espinoza, 2007).

The Criminal Justice system I believe will benefit a great deal if a vast majority of society has faith in the system and believes some form of justice will prevail. The system's ability to function effectively and efficiently is key and the more professional the system and the individuals who make up the system become, the better the chance Justice can be served (Holland, 2006).

In my intended occupation as a Criminal Justice professional, I will strive to see justice is served by protecting and serving my community to the best of my ability. I will conduct myself in a professional manner and follow the Due Process of Law while treating every individual equally and with respect deserved. In addition, I will continue to further my education as I believe education will allow me the opportunity to be taken more seriously while educating others in regard to my outlook on what justice should be.

After defining justice as I believe a victim, society, prosecutor-defense attorney, politicians and the criminal justice system may see it, the word justice in my opinion has a wide-range of definitions and can be expressed in a minute to immense way. Additionally, one cannot be correct or incorrect when describing the meaning of justice as each individual has his or her own opinion and interpretation of what justice should be.

References

Doolin, K. (2007, October). But What Does It Mean: Seeking Definitional Clarity in Restorative Justice. Fortune, 71(5), 427-440. Retrieved August 16, 2009, from EBSCOhost database.

Espinoza, O. (2007, December). Solving the equity-equality conceptual dilemma: A new model for analysis of the educational process. Fortune, 49(4), 343-363. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from EBSCOhost database.

Holland, R. (2006). Improving Criminal Jury Verdicts: learning from the court material. Fortune, 97(45), p101. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from Gale PowerSearch.