Y08W32VC Theme Words — Criminal justice

A change made to improve a system, law, or institution, especially to make it fairer or more effective.

Word Breakdown: re- (prefix meaning ‘again’)

Word family: reformer (n.), reformed (adj.)

Example: Advocates called for urgent reform of sentencing laws that they argued were applied unevenly across racial groups.

Synonyms: change, improvement, overhaul

Collocations: prison reform, call for reform, criminal justice reform

To restore someone to a normal and healthy life after a period of illness, imprisonment, or difficult circumstances.

Word family: rehabilitation (n.)

Example: Advocates of restorative justice argue that the primary aim of incarceration should be to rehabilitate, not to punish.

Synonyms: reform, restore, reintegrate

Collocations: rehabilitate offenders, rehabilitation programme, successfully rehabilitated

A result or effect following from an action or decision, especially an important or undesirable one.

Word family: consequential (adj.)

Example: Researchers examined the long-term consequences of incarceration on family stability and community cohesion.

Synonyms: result, outcome, effect

Collocations: face consequences, significant consequence, unintended consequence

The attitude or feeling conveyed by a piece of writing, revealed through word choice and style.

Word family: tonal (adj.)

Example: The tone of the judge’s statement was measured and authoritative, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Synonyms: mood, voice, attitude

Collocations: set the tone, sombre tone, critical tone

The distinctive way a writer or narrator expresses themselves; the perspective through which a text is presented.

Example: The novel’s first-person voice draws readers into the protagonist’s inner world.

Synonyms: tone, style, perspective

Collocations: narrative voice, authorial voice, give voice to

The level of formality or informality in language, chosen according to context, audience, and purpose.

Example: Legal documents are written in a formal register that may be difficult for general readers to follow.

Synonyms: style, tone, formality

Collocations: formal register, appropriate register, shift in register

The character or identity that a writer or speaker projects in their work; a constructed or assumed identity.

Example: The author adopts a cynical persona throughout the essay, making it clear she has little faith in the justice system's ability to reform.

Synonyms: character, identity, mask

Collocations: adopt a persona, narrative persona, authorial persona

A settled way of thinking or feeling about something, often revealed through behaviour, tone, or word choice.

Example: The writer's dismissive attitude towards rehabilitation is evident in her choice of language throughout the article.

Synonyms: stance, position, view

Collocations: critical attitude, reveal an attitude, adopt an attitude

A writing function phrase used to identify and begin analysis of the emotional or attitudinal quality of a text.

Example: The tone of the editorial is confrontational, suggesting the author views the justice system as fundamentally corrupt.

Synonyms: the voice of, the register of, the attitude revealed by

Collocations: the tone of the text, the tone of the article, the tone of the passage