Restorative Justice M6D1: Offender Registries

Restorative Justice

M6D1: Offender Registries

Many people are victims of crime, and in this particular study, victims of sexual crimes that include assault and rape. In light of the rise in such cases, the Megan's law allowed for the public registration of sexual offenses, among other notable crimes. Such are the milestones that have taken place in the platform of criminal justice and essentially in the reforms in criminal corrections. The enactment of these registries provides societal protection, and every state determines the relative areas of crime or cautions that needs registry. This enables a particular state to exercise the legislative function of forming city registries that can help inform its citizens of any anticipated criminal activity from offences and offenders registered; hence efficiently offering notification policies. These registries should neither be termed as incitive to crime nor punishable, but instead a protection mode to individuals, especially victims and ought to be rationally implemented.

The ideology behind societal protection through criminal registries is proposes by the perceptions and propositions of the rational choice theory. Rationality differs, from a normal hardworking citizen, and one who engages in crime. For the latter, prior engaging in a criminal activity, an individual weighs the vantages and limitations of his or her action, but in a cost-benefit methodology. Following this notion, if the anticipated benefits surpass the risks involved in the crime, a potential criminal is probable to engage. In other instances, situational factors force an individual to engage in any criminal activity, provided that the decision made is met by no resistance. This theory has essentially assisted in appraising the implementation of offender registry since an offender will attribute the legal consequences in the registries as an inevitable cost, high to pay; hence distance him or herself with any criminal relationship (Combs, 2011).

Close evaluation of the offender registry laws indicate that these registries are exonerations, rather than being regarded as punishment as most offenders claim. It is vital for the society to take charge in closely monitoring known criminals due to recidivism fear and family protection (Hess et al., 2009). However, in other society, the registries are channels of marginalization to the convicted criminals. The latter suffer from stigmatization, vigilantism and harassment. In extreme scenarios, the criminals find it difficult to access societal information among other important things. In consideration to Craun et al. research, I support the implementation of offender registries. Sexual crimes are dangerous both to the offender and the victims, especially when health outcomes seem are involved. Under age children, teenage girls, youthful ladies, and old women are all exposed to this venom, which undermines the societal goal of maintaining a gender-balanced environ. The society also takes stern action to any offender of such crimes, not considering the status of the criminal. My conviction towards this will deter attempts of committing sexual offenses.

M6D2: Restorative Justice

The criminal justice system not only seeks justice to the victims and criminals, but restorative justice. As much as the victim benefits from the process, the criminals too ought to learn something from the entire process. According to Hancock and Sharp, 2004, several strategies have been devised in determining a convenient approach of providing justice to the direct victim, since the state does not pose as the primary victim. As a mayor, the strategies that could be of most value are ensuring community safety and enhancing competency development as accounts of restorative justice. Community safety determines the progression of a society. Through restorative justice, societal members are expected to build working relationships whose empowerment will depict the responsibility of the community. It is through such a program that past criminal offenders comprehend of their role in ensuring community protection, and hence playing an important role in maintaining state and national security. Competency development will look into other pro-social skills of the convicted. Most offenders never take the time to discover their other side, since they are always preoccupied by criminal minds. This is beneficial to the community and the offenders since more strength will be built and invested upon in ensuring that talent and skill are exponentially utilized for increasing society social and economic wealth. In addition, criminal activities will reduce with the address of factors leading to criminal behavior. The major setback is that some offenders term the restorative justice process as a mode of punishment, which becomes difficult uprooting the notion from them (Hess et al., 2009).