Benjamin Perrin

In this book, Benjamin Perrin looks at Canada's criminal justice system and its failure to understand and/or address underlying issues that lead to crime. For example, he argues that substance abuse should be treated first as a health issue, not as a criminal one.

The author believes we should build our system around restorative justice rather than punishment, nevertheless recognizing the need for punishment in some cases such as a Paul Bernardo or Willy Picton. He further believes that show more punishment is the removal of an individual from society and should not include a lack of medical care or loss of human rights.

Victims are not well served by our current system either. They are often treated as mere witnesses to a crime against the Crown rather than a person who has been harmed.

He thinks reform is most likely to be successful if we start with the youth justice system as reducing childhood trauma is something universally accepted as important.

An eye-opening book that takes us inside the criminal justice system. After reading this, I think reform is more important that I did previously. show less