Every Crime Has a Victim

Before coming to prison I was pretty ignorant about the law and crime in general. When you obey traffic laws, pay your taxes on time, and don't rob or kill people you don't think too much about crime. Unless of course you live around it all the time. Only after coming to prison did I begin to hear about "victim-less crimes." These would be property crimes, embezzlement, cheating on your taxes, drunk driving (no accident), etc. But doesn't all crime have a victim? If you break into a home and steal something, the homeowner is victimized. If you embezzle money, the business or organization is victimized and consequently the owners or beneficiaries. Tax cheats, while perhaps entitled to their own money, nevertheless break the law and cost other taxpayers money. Drunk drivers who don't hit anyone or anything fall into a broader category that all crimes fit into. The families who are disrupted and financially strained when their loved one goes to jail or prison are the victims. Every crime has a victim and unfortunately the impact is usually much broader than those who the crime was committed against. Most victims would like to see their perpetrator punished, and crime should be punished. But for many, both victim and perpetrator may benefit from restorative practices that are aimed at healing the hurt the victim experienced, and healing the brokenness of the perpetrator by humanizing the impact of their crime. The time for "lock 'em up and throw away the key" is over. Let's start focusing on healing so victims don't have to be victims forever and criminals who truly regret their crimes can be a part of restoring peace to their victims.