Remember Me highlights the importance of proportionate punishment to restore social order and personal relationships.
Remember Me highlights the need to balance punishment/rehabilitation and care for victims.
This balance between punishing crime and rehabilitating criminals, emphasises the importance of proportionate punishment to restore social order and personal relationships.
While care for victims is the first responsibility of criminal justice it is essential that practical and relational support is offered, as exemplified by the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
The Catholic perspective on punishment emphasizes the healing and restoration of personal lives and the social fabric, advocating for necessary and proportionate punishment alongside care for victims.
We, The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, support the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, advocating for victims’ rights to transparency, accountability, and participation in the justice system. Statistics show that 29% of adult prisoners experienced childhood abuse, and 46% of women prisoners had attempted suicide, indicating the need for victim care to prevent future criminality.
England and Wales have the highest imprisonment rate in western Europe, with a 93% increase in the prison population over the past thirty years, despite no clear link to decreased crime rates.
Court delays have reached record highs, with a backlog of 67,573 cases and 17,662 prisoners on remand, highlighting the need for a more efficient criminal justice system.
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The role of Catholic faith, restorative justice, and community support in the redemption and rehabilitation of offenders.
By practising justice and mercy towards each other, we share in the love of God which can redeem even the most challenging circumstances
