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Eye-For-An-Eye Justice System

Issue

Incarceration seems to be an ineffective means of deterring crime with prisons being overcrowded and many returning to a life of crime. Would an eye-for-an-eye policy be more effective as a punitive measure than our prison system?

Eye-For-An-Eye (Primary Principle)

The eye-for-an-eye principle reflects an ideal that is not based upon vengeance, but rather represents a fair and just balance of life through the proper reinforcement of one's actions. Jesus may have referred to this when he said:
So in everything, do to others what you would have them
do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12

The eye-for-an-eye principle should be used as a guide for proper justice. For example, people should not steal from others unless they want to be stolen from, or strike anyone unless they want to be stricken in return. It is a simple principle to live by and doing so, helps deter a person from committing an act of crime.

Eye-For-An-Eye (Balanced Reconciliation)

For rectifying criminal acts, instead of incarceration which has shown to be ineffective, perhaps a better means of addressing the situation would be for the transgressor to undergo the same experiences as the victim.

For example, if a person stole a bicycle then that person not only has to return the item to the original
owner, but also give the victim something equivalent in return as balanced reconciliation. By doing so, the transgressor will learn that nothing is gained through the act of stealing and will directly experience what it is like to be a victim of the crime.

The eye-for-an-eye equality rule will help people put things in perspective and all will know what would happen to them if they carried out an illegal act. The policy moving forward would be a better manner of providing justice to the situation than just incarceration.

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