Sitting in the Bradford criminal court I am struck by the lack of "majesty". Truth be told, the place has the feel of a rather shabby welfare office. The holding cells, for instance, are in an unmarked converted house next door to the court.
The judge, Crowns and lawyers struggle mightily to impress upon the accused -- a mixed crowd, to say the least -- that breaching the rules of society is a "bad thing". But the beat-up building and water dripping from the ceiling caught in garbage baskets defeat the purpose.
The accused's dress is almost all the proof of failure needed. Ripped tees (one woman, clearly a drug addict) in a bikini top speak volumes.
The accused here are a sad mix of the mentally unstable, chronically addicted and socially excluded. These are not people for who punishment and repentance will work. Some spend more time in prison than at liberty.
Our system is designed to deal with rational actors in a dignified setting. That's just not reality.
2 comments:
Bradford would be a satellite court, many counties have lost their satellite courts. It is unlikely that The Queen in Right of Ontario would spend money on fixing a satellite court.
I haven't been in a courthouse myself in many years (excepting a brief misguided stint in traffic court when I was 8 mons. pregnant) but the picture you paint sure is a far cry from what's portrayed on TV.
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