criminal reform
Changing lawbreakers' behavior
Criminal reform refers to changes in laws, policies, or practices related to crime and punishment.
The term covers two distinct movements: reform of the criminal justice system itself—addressing issues like sentencing, policing, and prison conditions—and reform of criminals, meaning rehabilitation programs intended to reduce reoffending.
Context usually makes clear which sense applies: criminal reform advocates typically push for systemic change, while criminal reform programs focus on individual rehabilitation.
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- second chanceRenewed opportunity after failure
- paroleConditional early release
- parole boardBody granting early freedom
- incarcerationConfinement in jail
sentencing · reentry · reentry programs · probation · restorative · restorative justice · justice · prison · redemption · clean slate · advocacy · legislation · inmates · corrections · abolition · decriminalization · diversion · clemency
- penologypenology, prisons, incarceration, parole board, prison
- legal historylegal history, medieval law, Roman law, Roman jurisprudence, common law
- redemptionredemption arc, redeemed, forgiven, saved, moral redemption
- punishmentpunishment, prison, jail, execution, hanging
criminal reformretribution
Punishment for wrongdoing
retributive justice · tough on crime · punishment · vengeance · law and order
criminal, reform, crime, crimes, criminals, criminally, criminality, criminalize, criminalized