Crime and Punishment

Our newspapers and news broadcasts frequently focus on crimes that are committed in our communities. The more serious the crime the more ink on the page or time that is devoted to the happening on TV or on the air. Those who commit crimes are most often not apprehended. In such cases, crime does pay! For the victim, hurt and sometimes even shame. Seldom is there a victimless crime. We know that crime comes at a cost to individuals and to society. That is the major reason for crime prevention which is one of the major advantages of having a competent, motivated and well-paid professional police force.

If criminals are captured, they are charged and presumed innocent until the case is heard in court. Between the time of capture and the court date, the accused remains in jail or is let out on a promise to appear in court or on a bail bond. Out on bail, or on the street permits true criminals to carry on with their criminal activities; that is part of our system of justice.

If the accused is found guilty, the nature and severity of punishment may have little or nothing to do with the crime. It may have much to do with the legal expertise of the criminal’s lawyer, any record of past criminal activity and the punishment any past crimes committed.

What type of news is provided the public? Is the public aware of the punishment that is meted out in our courts? Are some justices soft on crime or softer than others? Is the public generally aware of the punishment that is awarded to the crimes that were highlighted in the past? Who judges the judge and the system of justice?

We often have heard that the punishment given is used as a deterrent to future criminal activity. If this is true, what evidence is there to permit us to believe when criminals continue committing crimes?