THE TIME SHOULD FIT THE CRIME

The federal government finally takes action on marijuana grow ops,
proposing minimum jail and prison sentences, and what does the
bureaucracy in the prison system do?

It wrings its hands, and claims there isn't room for more prisoners,
in either the federal or provincial system.

Give me a break! Move out the wide-screen TVs, convert the gyms and
pitch and putts into cell areas. These guys and gals are not at Club
Med. They are supposed to be doing nasty time, just like the trauma
they inflicted on their victims. And if it takes double or triple
bunking, or an uncomfortable existence within the walls, so be it.

Can't do the time, don't do the crime. That's a saying most criminals
in this country don't hear often, or believe in, because our "justice"
system is a joke.

Remember the story about a young woman who was victimized, raped
twice, threatened with her life? The guy got six months.

A lesser crime, and the sentence might be house arrest, or a few hours
community work, which I really doubt is ever "served."

A crime more vicious and the crook, if he/she isn't let out on bail,
gets credit for double the time served in jail before being sentenced.

No wonder crime is rampant. Criminals don't give a damn about harming
or shooting people because if they don't get away with it, they'll
probably just get a slap on the wrist . and besides the money they can
make is just too good to pass up.

So the feds react, and all we get is whining and probably the civil
liberties bunch going apoplectic.

Somewhere along the line, the rights of victims has been superceded by
the rights of the criminal. Justice is supposed to mete out the
appropriate punishment, but thanks to our benevolent court system, it
doesn't anymore.

And that is why we see innovative attempts to recognize the rights of
victims. Restorative justice is one that provides the victim with the
opportunity to make the criminal understand the pain they have caused,
to realize that a victim's sentence is a lifetime of horrifying memories.

Our courts, in some cases, also allow people - victims or family
members - to make victim impact statements. While these may help
somewhat in the healing process, they usually have little impact on
the criminal.

One-on-one in restorative justice might have more effect, but it only
seems to work on first time offenders, perhaps nipping a life of crime
in the bud. At least it allows the victim to make clear just how much
the crime has been, and will always continue to be, a violation of his
or her life.

However, had we a just court system, one in which the punishment fits
the crime, maybe we wouldn't need that. Seeing someone put away
forever just might be more therapeutic than knowing your pain and
memories will last a lifetime, while the perpetrator is out wandering
the streets in a few weeks, months or years.

I have to confess though, that should a heinous crime be committed
against me or my family, "restorative" justice would be the sound of a
slide-action shotgun cycling a round into the chamber.