Healing doesn't come from justice or the justice system. That is something that has been revealed in study after study of families who fought for and got the death penalty. In followups they explain a temporary relief at conviction and even one post-execution but as time passes they realize that it did nothing whatsoever to help them heal. Many feel empty and directionless post-execution -- they thought it would fix things and when it doesn't they become even more despondent. The problems that were there before remain and no amount of punishment can bring back the lost loved one.
Healing is an internal process. It's something we give ourselves and something we learn to accept. And for many of us it's based in our spiritual beliefs and the concept of forgiveness. In terms of healing, forgiveness is often far more important to the person who feels wronged than it is for the person who did wrong. When we withold forgiveness the only harm we do is to ourselves. The old saying about holding onto anger, grudges, and resentments being akin to swallowing poison and hoping the other person will die is quite apt.
That all said, the justice system is not there to right the wrongs done to us personally. It's there to protect the rules of society, adjudicate disputes, and otherwise see that the if one party violates said laws and rules he or she pays the price for that via money, jail time, service, or any other combination therof. Our feelings as victims or as the survivors of victims is irrelevant to justice. Justice belongs to the state so to speak. Alleged lawbreaking is prosecuted in the name of the state or commonwealth not in the name of the victim and the state sees itself as the party that has been harmed as it's laws have been broken.
You can flog, beat, fine, or do whatever nasty fantasy you can come up with to someone accused of a crime and it won't do a damn thing to help anyone. It's not even justice but revenge.
