Blue Bloods Summary

This Blue Bloods episode had a range of excitement from undercover operations to the ever popular “letter from prison” story line. It even had the all too familiar opinion from the rugged police officer which peaks with the idea it is impossible for rehabilitation to work on the worst case prisoners. The Sarah story line started out with a heartfelt and emotional request. Sarah asked Frank is he would walk her down the aisle at her wedding in the next few days, because of her family’s death when she was 6. Frank said yes, but sensed something else was wrong. Sarah revealed that the killer, Donald Berry, had written her a letter as part of a restorative justice program, in hopes that Sarah would agree to meet with him. Sarah did not want to

The concept of retribution sits well in the framework of police work. My parents, both being former police officers, believe heavily in retribution/just deserts. It is ingrained in the mindset of police, “You do the crime, and you pay the time.” The majority of the Reagan police family has that ideology. Retribution is also known as Just Deserts, which the book argues is a term that more liberals use, which is punishment that is due to the offender but only the punishment the offender deserves as to not cause the offender more suffering than deserved. Erin and her daughter (I assume) did not say Donald Berry should be released because he committed a terrible crime, they only wanted Sarah to experience any form of healing she could by speaking to Berry. They do think there can be positive effects of the restorative justice program where convicted felons can work to reduce the harm they had previously caused their victims by speaking with, or apologizing to, them. The combination of just deserts and rehabilitation/restorative justice fits well in Erin’s mind as she wants to see offenders suffer the right amount for their actions, but during that time, she thinks the offender can work to better themselves and reduce the harm they caused the community and victim when they were outside of

Yes, I would agree that some people are just evil, but that is NOT the majority. That is a very, very small minority group and for that, they should serve the appropriate amount of time (Just Deserts). Rehabilitation focuses on the idea that, for the most part, criminals commit crimes due to factors outside their control. I argue that the majority of life choices made by criminals’ and noncriminals’ alike are because of these outside factors. These outside factors shape our actions in all cases and must be adjusted to help people’s process in society. Correctional programs are used to make this adjustment do that once a criminal is released back into society, they will not choose the same means to reduce the outside strain caused by certain factors outside their control. I would argue that restorative justice is a facet of rehabilitation. Restorative Justice focuses on alleviating the harm that crime caused to society, the criminal, and the victim. The analogy given in class to explain restorative justice was also recapped in the book. Imagine Lady Justice, scales tilted on one side. Restorative Justice works to bring the offender back up to the even level by having the offender amend their actions to all parties involved. I do not however think the probability of an additional system parallel to our current justice system will ever exist. Additionally, I think all parties must