Justice implies fair treatment, concern for others, and ethical or moral rightness. The justice systems, however, may produce very different results, especially if manipulated by politicians or powerful elites to serve their own ends.

Some of the key concepts to consider are the differences between punitive and restorative approaches, and the system’s general failure to deliver equal outcomes for racial and religious minorities or for those of limited income or status.

The criminal justice system in the United States is deeply flawed.

• Minorities and the poor are charged more harshly for comparable crimes, are more likely to be convicted, and serve harsher sentences. For almost 10 years, the U.S. Department of Justice has been calling attention to, and seeking solutions for, the problem of ‘disproportionate minority contact’.

• The system often fails to convict the real perpetrator, which also means that the person who committed the crime goes free.
  In death-penalty cases, which are studied more closely than lesser offenses, we see case after case where it is proven that a person was sentenced to death on the basis of false evidence or even police and prosecutorial misconduct. Sometimes, of course, they are too late and the wrong person has already been executed. Read about Dennis Counterman, Ray Crone, Troy Davis, and Mumia Abu-Jamal. 
• Another clear indication that the current system is ineffective is the high rate of recidivism, or repeat offenses. [More than half of those sentenced for crimes go on to commit additional crimes in the future; in some cases, recidivism can exceed 70%!

We need a justice system that serves and strengthens the community. We need to include the community in the processes of justice, and develop more collaborative approaches. We call this community justice. And we need to focus on restorative practices to help heal victim, community, and offender.