ABSTRACT
Inthisbook,wehavearguedthatthecentralandmostimportantpurposeofthe institutionofthepoliceistheprotectionofmoralrights.Wehavefurtherargued thattheuseofharmfulmethodsisbothroutineandinescapableinpolicework.In relationtoharmfulmethods,wehavethusfardiscussedindetailpoliceuseof deadlyforce(Chapter3)andpoliceuseofsurveillanceandrelatedmethodsthat infringeindividualprivacy(Chapter4).However,themostobviousharmful methoddeployedbypoliceisarrestandimprisonment;theinfringementof individualfreedomorautonomy.Ofcourse,forthemostpartimprisonmentisnot somethingthatisamatterforthepolicetodecide;ratherthecourtsdetermine whetherornotanoffenderwillbeimprisoned,andifso,forhowlong. Nevertheless,imprisonmentisinsomesenseagoalofmuchpolicework;many offendersareinvestigated,arrestedandchargedbypoliceinthecontextofa criminaljusticeprocesswhichhasasitsendpointthattheseoffendersare imprisoned,albeitasaconsequenceofconvictionandsentencingbythecourts.So thegoalofmuch-butadmittedlynotmost-policeworkisimprisonment. However,thereisagrowingsensethatimprisonmentisnottheanswerto criminality,oratbestonlyasmallpartoftheanswer.Thisisinpartbecause imprisonmentmaynotbeanappropriateformofpunishmentformanyoffenders, andinpartbecauseitdoesnotnecessarilydealwiththeneedsofvictims.More generally,wehavearguedthatcriminalityessentiallyconsistsoftheviolationof moralrights,andthereforeofaruptureinthemoralrelationshipbetweenthe offenderandthevictim.Accordingly,onethingthatiscalledforisarestoringof thatmoralrelationship;hencetheimportanceofrestorativejustice.However, arguably,therestorationofamoralrelationshipdependsonthepreservationofthe moralautonomyofboththeoffenderandthevictim.Ifthisisso,andif imprisonmentunderminesindividualautonomy,thentothisextentimprisonmentis aproblematicresponsetocriminalityinsofarastheresponsetocriminalityought tobetherestorationofmoralrelationships.Naturally,itmustbeacceptedthatthe restorationofmoralrelationshipsisnot,andcannotbe,theonlysocietalresponse tocriminality.Atanyrate,sinceourconcerninthischapteriswithrestorative justice,andsincerestorativejusticeimpliesindividualmoralautonomy,webegin withabriefdiscussionoftherelationbetweenindividualautonomyand ..I 1mpnsonment.
