National Adult Literacy Database

June 7, 1999

Here is a story from Dawn, a participant in the Adult Basic Skills program at Victoria READ.

 

Play an audio version of this story

The Justice System

by Dawn

I was asked to write my opinion about a subject, so here it is : Justice Systems or the lack there of. The punishment should fit the crime more appropriately and the time should be served to the day. The prisoners are being good due to having no choice, so technically, they're not really behaving, so should that allow them a possible "get out jail out jail free" card? I think not.

Sometimes the punishments don't fit the crime, for example the case of Reena Virk. Her assailants received approxiamatally two years for the torture and beating, as a result her life was not spared. Another good example is O.J. Simpson who recieved no punishment for the brutal beatings and jealous rages toward his wife, resulting in the death of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goodman. There are also everyday examples that don't hit the newspapers: child molesters, rapists, mental and physical abusers. Where is the justice for these victims?

This now brings me to that old saying "What we don't see won't hurt us". The justice system protects the criminals by putting them under protectice custody, with three meals a day. Thay also get their own private walks to keep them out of the mainstream of regaulr jail so they won't be killed by other criminals. A good example of this is Clifford Olson, a serial rapist and murderer. He has his own jail cell with his own computer and his own business!

I am concerned for the victims rights, when criminal of these sorts of crimes are set free after only doing half their sentences. Does anyone consider the feelings of pain and agony, the victims have to face in these situations or are the offenders the only ones we care about?