Crime and Punishment
1.​ Do you believe that we have an effective judicial system in the United States?Why? Why
not?
I think that we have an effective judicial system, but there are areas in which they need
improvement. It all depends on the judges. I have seen some judges falsely accuse people of
things they didn’t do such as the case of Imam Marcellus Khalifah Williams who was executed
because of a murder which he didn’t commit as evidence shows. However, I have seen some
judges who are very righteous and are very understanding. These are the type of people who
should be running the judicial system.
2.​ Do you think that all crimes should be punished in the same way?
I don't think all crimes should be punished in the same way. For example, if you steal a loaf of
bread, you should not be executed as you would be if you murdered many people because it's
just not fair. People should be punished based on the severity of their crime. Instead of being
executed for stealing a loaf of bread, maybe you should punish the person less severely by
putting them in jail for a week or two.
3.​ The figure of justice (seen below) is always depicted as blindfolded, which means justice
should only consider the facts. Should the reason behind committing a crime ever be
taken into consideration when dealing with punishment?
I definitely think it should be as we may not know what is going on in the person's life. For
example, if a person was mentally ill, it's not fair to punish them in the same way as abled people
would be since they may not know what they did wrong. Another example is that if a person or
their family was struggling, maybe instead of punishing them immediately, we should take into
consideration what the person was dealing with and help them recover from it.
4.​ How does our society treat people on parole or ex-convicts? Do you think they should
be able to live normal lives again? Why? Why not?
I think that we treat people on parole or ex convicts poorly. Once people are released, the police
don't provide them with anything to start a new life. They would have to find a new job, which will
be pretty difficult for them due to the fact that they were criminals and they have to get their own
food and shelter which, again, would be very difficult as they have no money. Essentially, they
are left out homeless, unless they have a family or any other people to help them. there are also
many nonprofit organizations that help people on parole or ex convicts to get jobs and start a
new life. these people always deserve a second chance as a person can always change
themselves as long as they receive the proper support and if they have enough will to.
5.​ Many criminals who have served time end up back in prison. What do you think this
suggests about the effectiveness of imprisonment as a means of rehabilitation?
This suggests that rehabilitation in prison is very minimal or absent. In order to properly make
sure that person doesn't commit the crime again, you have to actually help them rather than just
putting them in a concrete block and expect them to fix themselves. While punishment is
necessary in order to cement the thought that what they did was wrong, it should also be
followed with rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is like a class. You tell the person what they did wrong
and you try teaching them how to prevent themselves from doing that again. From what I have
learned in my household, punishing someone isn’t a way of making sure he or she doesn’t do the
same thing again. The way to actually help them is by not showing any anger and talking to
them.