Circle sentencing and public policies

Circle sentencing and public policies Circle sentencing can be viewed as an alternative to conventional criminal trial. Overall, it can be understood as a procedure which involves the discussion of an offence between the defendant, the victim and the representatives of the local community (Doemer Lab 20011, p. 151).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Circle sentencing and public policies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These people have to decide what kind of sanctions should be taken against the person who committed a crime. More importantly, they need to determine how the rights of a victim should be upheld. Circle sentencing is primarily aimed at reconciling the victim and the defendant. Furthermore, this model strives to reduce the risk of subsequent crimes or recidivism. The Australian government favors such form of restorative justice and allows Indigenous Australians to take part in such trials. This policy reflects several important interests and values of public administrators. First of all, the emphasis on circle sentencing is supposed to decrease the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in jails (Tumeth 2011, p. 6). These people can be sentenced to imprisonment for various kinds of offences, including minor ones (Marchetti Daly 2004, p. 6). They are more likely to be imprisoned that non-indigenous citizens of the country. The changes in public policies are based on the assumption that by sentencing a person to imprisonment for minor offences the government will only increase the risk of recidivism (Borowski 2010, p. 466). This is why sentencing circles normally vote in favor of such sanctions as community services or participation in rehabilitation programs. Furthermore, this policy is aimed at involving indigenous communities into the judicial process (Marchetti Daly 2004, p. 6). The policy-makers believe that the government should gain the trust of indigenous people, especially their confidence in the existing syst em of justice (Tumeth 2011, p. 6). Therefore, the elders of Indigenous people normally take part in these sentencing circles.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These people enjoy authority within the community, and their decisions are more likely to be accepted by both victims and offenders. Hence, one of the interests or goals that policy-makers pursue is to demonstrate that the government is willing to eliminate the barriers between the state and Indigenous people. Certainly, not every offender is eligible for participation in such procedures. For instance, sexual offences, homicide, robbery have to be tried in a conventional court. Sentencing circles can try only summary offences such as public misdemeanor, minor violations of traffic rules, or the actions which resulted in the minor damages to the property of another person. Moreover, circles are mostly intended for young people who have no record of previous offences, especially those ones which are indictable (Borowski 2010, p. 465). However, this is still a good opportunity for the Australian government to show that Indigenous communities will not be excluded from public decision-making. Hence, these people can be viewed as a more powerful stakeholder whose views, opinions, and interests should not be ignored. Additionally, this public policy indicates that the government favors the idea of preventive and restorative justice. This approach emphasizes two important aspects the compensation that should be given to the victim and rehabilitation of the offender. Thus, the goal of the judicial system should not be only the punishment of the criminal because by penalizing for minor offences the state only increases the risk of later crimes. Thus, one of the stakeholders is the entire community and its safety. This is one of the major assumptions underlying the policies of the state. Overall, there is a theoretical perspective that can explain the origins and rationale for circle sentencing. In particular, one can speak about anti-racism. According to this approach, the existing social and economic problems of a country can be partly explained by the long-term disempowerment of a certain racial or ethnic group (Lister 2010, p. 91).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Circle sentencing and public policies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This theory suggests that lack of educational or employment opportunities can eventually lead to higher crime rates within a specific community (Lister 2010, p. 91). This argument can be applied to the Indigenous Australians who long faced both formal and informal discrimination. Therefore, the state should help them integrate into the society. This is why the Australian government supports the idea of circle sentencing in order to empower these people and make sure that they can take part in public life. As it has been said before, they also try to break the so-called cycle of recidivism. This concept implies the idea that imprisonment does not always lead to the correction of a person’s behavior (Doemer Lab 20011, p. 151). Most likely, such sanctions will lead to the opposite effect, in other words, this individual may be more likely to commit crime in the future. Hence, the goal of sentencing circles is to safeguard young individuals against the risk of more serious crimes. Yet, it is still possible to say that public policies are shaped by anti-racist ideology because circle sentencing is mostly intended for the members of Indigenous communities. Non-indigenous offenders do not participate in such trials. This is why anti-racist perspective is the best explanation of the existing and future public policies. On the whole, circle sentencing is a way of delegating authority to the indigenous community and reducing the risk of crime within the segment of Australian population. These are the main objectives that the existing policies strive to achieve. However, it is still necessary to determine whether these initiative have been successful and to what extent. Moreover, one should also understand how these policies can be improved. References Borowski, A 2010, Indigenous Participation in Sentencing Young Offenders: Findings From an Evaluation of the Childrens Koori Court of Victoria, Australian New Zealand Journal Of Criminology, vol. 43 no. 3, pp. 465-484.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Doemer, W Lab, S 2011, Victimology, Elsevier, New York. Lister, R 2010, Understanding Theories and Concepts in Social Policy, The Policy Press, London. Marchetti, E, Daly, K 2004, Indigenous Courts and Justice Practices in Australia., Trends Issues In Crime Criminal Justice, vol. 277 no.1 pp.1-6. Tumeth, R 2011, Is Circle Sentencing in the NSW Criminal Justice System a Failure?, https://www.alsnswact.org.au/. Weatherburn, D, Fitzgerald, J, Juizhao H J 2003, Reducing Aboriginal Over-representation in Prison, Australian Journal Of Public Administration, vol. 62 no. 3, pp. 65-73.

The Queen Annes Revenge - Blackbeards Pirate Ship

The Queen Anne's Revenge - Blackbeard's Pirate Ship The Queen Annes Revenge was a massive pirate ship commanded by Edward Blackbeard Teach in 1717-18. Originally a French slaving vessel that Blackbeard captured and modified, it was one of the most formidable pirate ships ever, carrying 40 cannons and enough room for plenty of men and loot. The Queen Annes Revenge was capable of fighting off nearly any Navy warship afloat at the time. It sank in 1718, and many believe that Blackbeard scuttled it on purpose. The wreck has been found and has turned up a treasure trove of pirate artifacts. From Concorde to Queen Annes Revenge On November 17, 1717, Blackbeard captured La Concorde, a French slaving vessel. He realized that it would make a perfect pirate ship. It was large yet fast and big enough to mount 40 cannons on board. He renamed it Queen Annes Revenge: the name referred to Anne, Queen of England and Scotland (1665-1714). Many pirates, including Blackbeard, were Jacobites: this meant that they favored the return of the throne of Great Britain from the House of Hanover to the House of Stuart. It had changed hands after Annes death. The Ultimate Pirate Ship Blackbeard preferred to intimidate his victims into surrendering, as fights were costly. For several months in 1717-18, Blackbeard used the Queen Annes Revenge to effectively terrorize shipping in the Atlantic. Between the massive frigate and his own fearsome appearance and reputation, Blackbeards victims rarely put up a fight and handed over their cargoes peacefully.  He plundered the shipping lanes at will. He was even able to blockade the port of Charleston for a week in April of 1718, looting several ships. The town gave him a valuable chest full of medicines to make him go away. The Queen Annes Revenge Sinks In June of 1718, the Queen Annes Revenge hit a sandbar off of North Carolina and had to be abandoned. Blackbeard took the opportunity to make off with all of the loot and a select few of his favorite pirates, leaving the others (including hapless pirate Stede Bonnet) to fend for themselves. Because Blackbeard went legit (sort of) for a little while after that, many thought he scuttled his flagship on purpose. Within a few months, Blackbeard would return to piracy and on November 22, 1718, he was killed by pirate hunters in a pitched battle off of North Carolina. The Wreck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge In 1996, a shipwreck believed to be that of the Queen Annes Revenge was discovered off of North Carolina. For 15 years it was excavated and studied, and in 2011 it was confirmed to be Blackbeards ship. The shipwreck has yielded many interesting artifacts, including weapons, cannons, medical gear and a massive anchor. Juha Flinkman, SubZone OY / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons Many of the artifacts are on display at North Carolinas Maritime museum and can be viewed by the public. The opening of the exhibit drew record crowds, a testament to Blackbeards lasting reputation and popularity. Sources Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996Defoe, Daniel (Captain Charles Johnson). A General History of the Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1972/1999.Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: the Lyons Press, 2009Konstam, Angus. The Pirate Ship 1660-1730. New York: Osprey, 2003.