punishment. The theory behind this is that the threat of punishment will deter the crimes from being committed. It is that that the crime will not be worth the risk of being caught and having a punishment. Then, if a crime is committed, the execution of the punishment is used to hopefully change this criminal behavior. Although an offender may experience suffering in the process of taking responsibility and repairing harm, this system is not based on punishment. It is based, rather, on rehabilitation and restitution. The victim is hoped to be rehabilitated from the impact of the offense and paid back whatever possessions were lost. Also the offender is hoped to be rehabilitated. It is thought that he/she will see how this crime has affected the victim, and be given a chance to show their remorse, apologize and do whatever else is necessary to remedy the situation as best as possible. Law enforcement and police have totally different roles and approaches under the two systems. Police are the gate keepers of the criminal justice system. They control, with discretion, who comes into the system. Their approach to crime is patrol, surveillance, and investigation. The impact of this on the community is mixed. Some look at it a big brother watching over everyone while others see it as a sense of security. In the community system, approach to crime would be less of a search for crime and more of investigating reports from victims. Police would have less discretion because of the more involved role of the victim. The court systems, as stated earlier, are entirely different. In the criminal justice system, the role of the court is almost entirely to convict and punish the offender. While a strict punishment can be satisfying to a crime victim, there is not much else that they get out of it. On the other hand, the community justice system is mostly victim based. In a face to face meeting, the victim can get answers to questions th...
