The problems of everyday life
The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies is pleased to publish The problems of everyday life as part of the Whose Justice? project.
Vicky Kemp, Pascoe Pleasence and Nigel Balmer of the Legal Services Research Centre present their findings from the 2004 Civil and Social Justice Survey.
Criminal justice processes target a limited range of ‘crimes’ or ‘harms’ to the exclusion of many others. Whilst political and public policy attention is often focused on procedures and processes, there is also great value in considering broader issues of social justice across a spectrum of activities that extend beyond the restricted scope of criminal justice. It is in this context that we find the work published here of interest.
As the briefing shows, the range of problems and difficulties of everyday life faced by different sections of the population is complex, interrelated and should ultimately be of concern to anyone with an interest in social justice. Whilst the categories of ‘crime’, ‘social exclusion’ and ‘civil justice problems’ can be problematic, this paper usefully draws attention to a number of issues that we feel deserve much greater attention.
As the authors claim, their findings suggest that services aimed at those people experiencing social problems would be more usefully provided through common means and methods. Separating out the issues and services aimed at resolving civil problems, crime and social exclusion often ignores the complex picture of injustices those deemed ‘vulnerable’ often face.
Of greatest importance is the necessity to begin looking at these problems in the context of social injustice and the role of structural factors that result in substantial inequalities. The Civil and Social Justice Survey makes an important contribution to this debate by providing a basis for further exploration, discussion and debate.