Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Victims of Crime

Abstract

Therapeutic jurisprudence focuses attention on the emotional well-being of those who come into contact with law and the legal system. This book chapter discusses how therapeutic jurisprudence can contribute to our understanding of the plight of victims of crime and how the legal process can be re-imagined to facilitate their healing and human potential. It argues that the criminal process and the way police, judges, court personnel, prosecutors, and defense lawyers play their roles with regard to the victim of crime should be animated, in important part, by a concern for the needs of the victim.