Karl Kraus said “Squeeze human nature into the straightjacket of criminal justice and crime will appear.” For all those interested in the field of criminal justice however, do not use North Korea as a model. The New York Times reports that the North Korean judicial body has sentenced two American journalists to 12 years “hard labor” for purportedly engaging in “hostile acts” against the country. President Obama is deeply concerned about this matter, as he was attempting to use all channels to secure their release and return to the United States.
The two journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, are merely pawns in an international chess game between the US and North Korea. What most officials believe is that the 12 year sentence is merely saber rattling on the part of North Korea. Officials hope that North Korea will eventually trade the two journalists’ freedom for some national benefit, be it easing of sanctions or staying off the state sponsored terrorism list. This case is extremely similar to the situation with American reporter Roxana Saberi, recently sentenced to 8 years in prison for “spying” but eventually acquitted after some confidential negotiations between Iran and the US government. As tensions flare and countries look for any advantage to strengthen their international positioning, the United States will have to continue to engage in this permissible form of human trafficking to protect its citizens abroad.
The two reporters were arrested on March 17 while working on the China-North Korean border on a story about refugees. Their supposed illegal entry into North Korean land was considered a hostile act for which they just stood trial. Secretary of State Clinton says the charges are baseless and has not given up hope on successfully negotiating their release.
What adds insult to injury is the pitiful judicial process in place. Very few people outside of North Korea have ever seen the legal system in process. The country has never held an official trial for a foreigner. The court system is completely different than ours in America. According to country-data.com, legal education or experience is not even a prerequisite for becoming a judge. Also, any ruling from the Central Court (the judicial body that adjudicated over the trial) is not subject to appeal.
In 2007, a man was given the death penalty by a court for making international phone calls. The death by firing squad was held in a stadium in front of 150,000 spectators. For a national tribunal to sentence someone to public death for making phone calls seems to be an act of villainy. It would be considered cruel and unusual punishment in the United States, and borders on criminal in international law. A 12 year sentence for two American journalists who weren’t even allowed counsel during pretrial investigations is arguable a criminal act in itself.
A criminal justice degree equips a person to better understand and catalog the symptoms of human activity, both domestically and internationally. Edward Gibbon wrote that “history is…the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.” A degree in criminal justice lets a person step within the sidelines of the present, making one an ancestor of the future by becoming a participant in the process.