The interview that my group and I conducted with Professor Stephanie Wyler was incredibly insightful and allowed me to think about the justice system in new ways. One thing that stood out to me the most was when Professor Wyler said, despite problems with the current justice system, that she believes that the United States has the best system in the world. Although this is a system with imperfections due to being created and run by humans, aspects like due process and the concept of being innocent until proven guilty exemplify our advanced system and its best interest for those it serves.

 

A new source of interest for me is to attend a court hearing and get to see the system in action. Having been a judge for Clermont’s juvenile court, Professor Wyler extended an invitation to our entire group to sit in on a court case within a delinquency docket that is not open to the public. Another opportunity for me to spectate activity in the justice system is to attend hearings at municipal courts, as those are always open to the public. Being able to witness first-hand how proceedings are held and the people that are immediately impacted would be such an eye-opening experience that could further shape my thoughts about the justice system.

 

Professor Wyler challenged my perspective of the justice system in her suggestion to change the body of individuals that are seen and disciplined by the courts. She believes that offenders who committed crime due to individual incapacities such as suffering from a drug addiction or having mental health issues should not be seen by the courts; instead, they should be mainly served by hospitals and health facilities that are able to appropriately assess and treat those individuals accordingly. This is based on the idea that not all criminals should be treated in the same way under uniform principles that don’t account for individual variation.

 

A potential challenge of further involvement is the main suggestion by Professor Wyler to get more involved with the government, especially on a local level, to enact change. As college students, I don’t feel that a majority of us have the time or ability to become involved with the government and its processes to an extent that would allow us to initiate change in the justice system. Furthermore, she recommended becoming involved with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); however, this is far from public knowledge and it is not likely that this would be seen as an initial course of action for people who simply want to challenge surface-level characteristics of the current justice system.