In an insightful discussion held prior to the imminent SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas, Shakyra Diaz, the Chief of Federal Advocacy for the Alliance of Safety and Justice, addressed some significant humanitarian concern within the criminal justice system.
She asserted that the majority of people entrenched in the system of crime and incarceration are often victims themselves. Evidently, statistics indicate that almost 90% of those incarcerated were victims of crime at some point in their lives. It escalates a major concern for the community and the need for more supportive measures for victims, which will invariably help in breaking the cycle of crime.
In recognition of this, Diaz is a strong advocate for victim support services and rehabilitation, arguing their critical role in preventing further crime and ultimately decreasing the rate of incarceration. This approach aligns with an emergent narrative in criminal justice reform that focuses on humanizing the perpetrator, understanding their background, and addressing the root causes of criminal behavior.
While it’s a challenging and long-term task, getting to the core of crime production and seeing prisoners as more than just law culprits is a significant beginning towards reforming the criminal justice system and bringing true justice to society.