We all talk about law and order as the one thing that holds the society and world at large together. It is important to have a law in society because it acts as a yardstick for what is accepted in society. However, every society is made up of different social groups and communities and various classes of people that have different thinking and ideologies which eventually leads to crimes.
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The Drug Connection
Over the years, drugs and crime are relatable in more ways than you can think. Most crimes are committed by using, possessing, manufacturing and distributing drugs. Many of the inmates today test positively when they are arrested. This leads to a never-ending cycle of drugs and crime. This leads to the question and debate on decriminalization of drugs to reduce the number of drug crimes. Also, it focuses on whether the criminal justice system should focus on how you rehabilitate these drug crime inmates or just look at them as standard crime inmates.
Crimes by the Youth
People today demand more from the justice systems but over the years many countries are witnessing a growing and ageing society. This means that young people commit more crimes than aged people. This begs the question of reexamining how we view juvenile offenders. Various justice systems around the world today believe in lenient punishment to rehabilitate juvenile offenders. However, with more crimes done by young people the focus shifts from restorative justice to community safety. This also shifts the focus on the severity of punishment for these young criminal offenders.
Technological Acceleration
Cybercrimes are becoming increasingly common these days. With more technological advancements, cyber crimes are more common and frequent. While many of these technologies offer better lifestyles and efficient services and solutions they also create avenues for criminals to commit the crime. Crimes like identity forgery, AI snooping and hacking vehicle electronic systems have become easier for criminals as they become efficient with committing and getting away with it. Without solid digital evidence, it becomes hard for law enforcement to keep them behind the bars. Secondly, with the internet it is easier to commit a crime and lure more youngsters into cybercrime.
Economic Inequality
The widening gap between the rich and the poor marginalized communities is also one of the challenges for the criminal justice system around the world. Various populous but generally poorer countries like India and China have seen growth in the incomes of the higher class and a drop in the income of the poor class. With a volatile economic situation across the globe and the impacts of COVID-19 on the economy this inequality is likely to stay for a long time ahead. This influences the downtrodden and the marginalized to take to crime as they are deprived of employment and other ways to make income.
