We Need A Justice System That Prevents Crime Not One That Punishes People For The Sake Of Doing So. By Adam Colclough
Feeling safe is a basic right everyone should be able to enjoy whether they are out in the community or in their own home. The justice system as it currently operates is not delivering this, the Green Party believe there is a better and more positive way of doing things.
Too often the justice system deals with the symptoms and not the causes of crime, punishment is often inflicted for the sake of doing so and does little to solve social problems or change behaviour.
The Green Party want to see the system transformed into one based on restorative instead of punitive justice with a real role for communities in developing policing priorities.
Candidates representing the Green Party in the Staffordshire County Council elections have expressed support for a justice system based on rehabilitation not punishing people for the sake of doing so.
A spokesperson said, “too often the justice system is a revolving door in which people get stuck, going from difficult lives in the community, to a short-term prison sentence and then back out again to face the same problems”.
The Green Party’s approach to transforming the justice system would involve investing more in education and youth services to divert vulnerable young people away from crime. Police services would be integrated with the communities in which they operate, building stronger and more positive relationships.
Short-term prison sentences would be reduced and, where practical, replaced by restorative justice programs and there would be a more determined focus on rehabilitation where custodial sentences were necessary.
Zack Polanski, a Green Party candidate for the London Assembly said “Restorative justice programs, which have been proven to be better at preventing re-offending than short-term sentences, would also be invested into the benefit of our society. Every citizen has a right to feel safe when they are walking down the street.”
The party would also end the costly and unproductive ‘war on drugs’, treating drug addiction as a health rather that crime issue and investing in education and treatment services.
George Jones, candidate for Maybank and Cross Heath spoke about how despite the medical use of cannabis having been legalized in 2018 it is still difficult to access, meaning “sick patients, worried parents and supportive partners” often have to do so illegally “driving profit to the black market, when it should be available on the NHS”. He added that if “correctly taxed and managed” cannabis could be administered safely “just like many other medicines”.
The North Staffs Green Party spokesperson said, “there is compelling evidence from around the world that treating crime as a social problem that can be solved by addressing inequalities is the most effective approach”, adding that “it is time for that to be something police and justice services in the UK adopt as their standard way of working”.