NCJ Number
176557
Journal
Networks Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: June 1998 Pages: 1-3
Date Published
1998
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This discussion of community justice emphasizes the importance of focusing on crime victims within communities and not just on communities as a whole; it also urges efforts to encourage victims to help define the real problems of crime and disorder and not just help solve the problems as the system has narrowly circumscribed them.
Abstract
The presentation notes that earlier discussions at the same conference have focused on creating new partnerships between the criminal justice system and the community and on the many challenges involved when the criminal justice system and the community share power. These discussions assume that the criminal justice system is not performing as well as people think it should and that many of the system's deficiencies will be cured by opening it up to the community. However, crime victims are more directly affected by crime than communities are, but they have had only limited success in being recognized as stakeholders in the criminal justice process. Prevailing notions of justice still virtually exclude the victim. However, individual victims can have a vital role in implementing, supporting, or monitoring an outcome. The four stages of victim involvement in the criminal justice system include providing victims with information, enabling victims to participate in the process, developing problem-solving partnerships, and having victims help define the problems to be solved. However, fear of victims' emotions stops the criminal justice system from involving them in the fourth stage. The further development of the community justice movement will make it clear whether involving communities becomes a powerful and effective way of also addressing victims' needs and concerns or whether it will push victims aside even more. Greater understanding of communities' needs and interests may make the system more attentive and supportive of crime victims as well.