Certainly the spectacular criminal justice reform we accomplished in recent years didn't address the question of speed. It aimed instead at reducing the crime rate, and it succeeded overwhelmingly. Abroad, they often warily reject it. These institutions work well at deterring misconduct and incapacitating offenders, but they don't change people. If you want to change the people, speed becomes crucial.
Any parent knows that.
We believe as ordinary human beings that the swift penalty or the swift reward is far more efficacious. T he criminal justice system does not believe in swiftness, and for a very good reason. The U.S. Constitution gives to criminal defendants, as to all of us, the right to a fair trial, the right to counsel, and the power to resist certain forms of interrogation. We wish to ensure that the chances of an innocent person's being punished are minimal. There is no way, therefore, to make the criminal justice system, as it deals with accused offenders, much speedier.