Kelsey McGovern, Staff Writer

The prison system is not only failing victims, but offenders as well. Victims need more of a say in how they believe their needs will be best met so they can begin their healing process. Instead of demanding punishment, the system should be demanding dialogue and answers for the victim. There needs to be less emphasis on what punishment the criminal deserves, and more of a focus on why the criminal committed the act in the first place in order to prevent the crime from repeating itself. Pain lingers, but should not be at a standstill. There needs to be a change in the United States’ prison system, and here is why.

Some victims want validation of what happened to them. They want to know that what happened to them was bad and should not have occurred. They deserve to know it was not their fault. They deserve answers. 

Not every victim wants their perpetrator to suffer the way they did, but some want their perpetrator to understand the way they felt. Victims want their perpetrator to know that what happened to them was not fair. That when they wake up in the morning and are even asleep at night, the traumatic event replays in their mind. Their pain has taken over their life and caused daily activities to change for the worse. Restorative justice provides victims with a healing process that does not only offer punishment for the offender, but accountability that provides the victim with justice.

Some victims may want revenge. However, in no way is that beneficial in the long run for their healing journey. The victim may go after their perpetrator and receive the form of justice they demanded, but it only affirms the cycle more. Each person who has caused harm to another person has been hurt by someone else. In taking any form of revenge, the rage may dilate, or it could be enhanced. It is normal to feel enraged and hurt, but turning that pain into forgiveness will be the best route to healing. Hurt people hurt people, and this cycle must be stopped if anyone wants to see reform in the general world – not only the US prison system. 

The prison system dehumanizes criminals – they do not treat them with dignity. While they could have committed a heinous act that deserves punishment, they also deserve to be treated justly. Every human has power within themselves, and it is what you do with that power that determines the trajectory of your life. When criminals unjustly use their power, it may begin a pattern. When they enter the prison system, they cannot remove themselves from a dangerous or toxic environment. Instead, they are submerged in one. These humans may begin to think they are only capable of doing bad with their power. In using different approaches, perpetrators can recognize that although what they did was bad, it does not have to define them for the trajectory of their lives. Every human has the ability to change, which takes time. Not every individual’s needs are recognized in the prison system, which will aid them to become better. When perpetrators understand that the same power they used horribly can be used in a beneficial manner, they gain hope. Once they turn this power into community service, forgiveness initiatives or discussions, they are not put back in the same cycle full of pain. 

Perpetrators often feel isolated from society, causing them to commit crimes. They have been hurt in the past, and instead of receiving the treatment they need, they instead hurt others. Mental health is a serious issue and needs to be taken more seriously. In so many cases, criminals have never received the help they need because mental health is not examined or held as important as it needs to be. When those who are already struggling with mental health issues are shunned and abandoned by society, their mental health worsens, leading them to act out and perform bad actions. The same goes for substance abuse. 

In no way is restorative justice excusing any acts committed due to internal issues. However, it is raising awareness that in order for your loved ones to not be murdered, sexually assaulted, or robbed, people need to be aware of the signs of mental health and substance abuse. During family events, hangouts with friends, community gatherings, or the passing by of strangers, every person deserves to be recognized as a human who has the same abilities we do. When kindness is more present than violence, the world will begin to heal. Unity will forever diminish violence. 

I believe that as humans, we need to have more compassion and forgiveness in this world. In order for peace to prevail, steps need to be taken in many aspects of active systems in the United States. Restorative justice can provide victims and perpetrators with the healing they need. In the words of Jesus Christ, “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).