CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Criminal Justice System and Criminal's Mind



Criminal Justice System and Criminal's Mind

Introduction.

The criminal justice system can be the first place that a domestic violence offender can receive the help that they need to overcome their abusive behaviors. Many offenders find themselves in the criminal justice system because they cannot control their anger or because of underlying emotional issues due to themselves being victims of abuse as children or young adults. The criminal justice system should have a vested interest in the treatment of these violent individuals to avoid high recidivism rates and to further protect the victims of domestic violence from further violence. By providing treatment programs? the criminal justice system can attempt to return offenders into the community as changed citizens capable of maintaining healthy relationships with their loved ones and provide them with a vastly greater understanding of why they? the offender? act out their aggressions on those they love.

The criminal justice system is also the first step for the victims of domestic violence. They rely on law enforcement? courtrooms? and other legal agencies to help them receive the help that they need to either reconcile their relationships with their abusive partners or to escape those relationships altogether. By providing offender treatment options those seeking to reconcile may find it easier to do so and those seeking escape will find it helpful because they won't have to worry about retaliation from the offender.

Millions of dollars are spent each year on the legal health and welfare services as a result of domestic violence. This money provides assistance to both the offender and the victim and may help train criminal justice professionals the skills they need to provide adequate help to domestic violence participants. Domestic violence perpetrator programs need to effective in order to helpful or no one receives the help they need. These programs also need to convey a sense of justice to the community because domestic violence cannot be seen as a tolerable action. Without the support of the community? resources for such programs would be impossible.

Discussion

Domestic violence as defined by the Illinois Department of Health? is "the violence that occurs when one person causes physical or psychological harm to a current or former intimate partner"(2005). Domestic violence is more then just a married man hitting his wife. Domestic violence? or intimate partner violence as it is also known? can include the children or other family members of the offender. Also? domestic violence is not limited to physical abuse? although that is the most violent and more likely to lead to the arrest of that individual. household misuse can include psychological misuse as well as physical abuse and that can be just as harmful. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States and can have an especially negative effect on all family members? especially children (Illinois Department of Public Health[IDPH] 2005).

The main question for a trained investigator is what insight does the offender's behavior provide into his own personal morality? and how ...