Getting tough on Crime (Canadian Society) Essay

Getting tough on Crime (Canadian Society) - Essay Example From the research it is clear that many people believe that fighting fire with fire is the only suitable way for crime to be reduced. Others strongly disagree with this assumption. Around the world, today, many cases have been on the rise as to the extent police have used excess force to deal with criminals. As much as the criminals seem to have it coming, many people still insist that they need to be tried and judged fairly in a court of law. This means that even in the judicial system, they have to be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to be locked up. What certain policies being implemented aim at achieving is ridding the streets of criminals and crimes completely. There have been some that advocate the locking up of criminals for a minimum of ten years for certain crimes. These policies are the cause of concern among many. These cases have seen the call for the re-evaluation of the policies due to the deteriorating state crime fighting is facing. This paper will review the a pproaches that have been used to handle crime and if indeed they are working. In society, today, there are many assumptions about crime. They often come about due to the various factors present. These factors could include; the media, which include both print and electronic, stereotypes, cultural and ethnic differences among other things that are present in any society. These factors together bring about a common fear for certain things or people and, therefore, the dominant assumptions about crime. ... Media coverage has been to blame for the recent rise in crime. However, societies like the Canadian society do not believe that the media has played any role in the rise of crime. They believe that crime is real, and this has nothing to do with the coverage the media has given acts of crime over time (Department of Justice, 2011). Another assumption usually placed on crime would be that crimes committed are of different levels. In Canada, they place crimes against children at the top of the most important crimes. This is closely followed by crimes that are the gang and youth related and finally, violence against women (Department of Justice, 2011). This assumption could mean that if a person is guilty of a crime against the above mentioned they are liable for a greater or harsher punishment. It would greater than when they would have done it against a young man or a mature male. Canada has decided to take the tough approach with crime and criminals. Policies have been made, and bills have been passed to ensure that criminals, once brought to book, bear the full brunt of the law. The judicial system has been mandated to penalise all those of different crimes with longer jail sentences. The reason, it seems, is to bring the law abiding citizen some peace. The assumption that when a criminal gets off easy after being arrested then, the law-abiding citizen is angered by it. They think that the law is coddling the wrongdoers (European Association of Psychology and Law, 2011). Sentences have been extended for those caught by the law. This is even for the smallest crimes imaginable. According to the policy makers, there is no little crime. A crime is a crime, and once the law has been broken, it is in