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Week Number Five Comments Community and the Justice System Return to Week Five Assignments 
Members of the community, victims and witnesses have only a limited role in the criminal justice system. The justice system professionals have primary control of priorities and process. Some, if not many community members believe that the justice system does not serve them well. Some believe that the system is imposing practices that are not based on the community needs and beliefs, others, including victims believe that the suspect in a criminal offense is the primary focus of the criminal justice system, not community safety and responsiveness. The practice of moving the justice system into the community is an attempt to make the system more accessible to people and to allow for their involvement in the process of justice. This is an exciting trend and the impact is not known at this point. I suggest that the community and the justice system will make many false starts, but in time, if we the community continues to push for involvement in the system some of the myths held by the community and by those involved in the justice system will disappear. The trip will be exciting and the road very bumpy. This section of the course takes us a little way on that bumpy road.
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