Please use attached powerpoint and reference in post
In this forum we will discuss the basics of the criminal justice system. We will begin to think critically about what we already know about the criminal justice system in the United States.
In Chapter 1 you learn that the criminal justice system is society’s form of social control. Please describe one aspect of social control that the book addresses and then with your opinion, discuss the following: Does the criminal justice system try to control too much? To little? Are there any other ways that society might be able to control human behavior?
After reading Chapter 1, please discuss the different era’s of Criminal Justice that Siegel and Wo
all (2013) overview. Were the reforms made throughout the 20th Century necessary? In your opinion, has the system improved over time or has it progressively degraded and fails to provide justice?
Slide 1
Chapter 1
Crime and Criminal Justice
Learning Objectives
Discuss the formation of the criminal justice system in America
Be able to define the concept of a criminal justice system
Be familiar with the basic component agencies of criminal justice
Comprehend the size and scope of the contemporary justice system
Trace the formal criminal justice process
Learning Objectives
Know what is meant by the term “criminal justice assembly line”
Characterize the “informal criminal justice system”
Describe the “wedding cake” model of justice
Be familiar with the various perspectives on justice
Understand the ethical issues involved in criminal justice
Introduction: The Criminal Justice System
System of:
Law enforcement
Courts
Co
ections
Directly involved in the:
Apprehension
Prosecution
Control of those who violate the law
Introduction: The Criminal Justice System
Introduction: The Criminal Justice System
Describe, analyze and explain the behavior of criminal justice agencies:
Police departments
Courts
Co
ectional agencies
Developing the Criminal Justice System
A surge of violent crime in 19th century America
Famous outlaws, criminal gangs
Flourished in largest cities
Criminal justice agencies developed as criminal gangs formed
In 1829 the London Metropolitan Police, the first police agency
Developing the Criminal Justice System
First police agencies created in the U.S:
Boston (1838)
New York (1844)
Philadelphia (1854).
The penitentiary was created
In 1919 the Chicago Crime Commission was
created
Developing the Criminal Justice System
In 1931 President He
ert Hover appointed the National Commission of Law Observance and Enforcement commonly known as the Wickersham Commission.
Commission made a detailed analysis of the U.S. justice system
Helped usher in the era of treatment and rehabilitation
The Modern Era of Justice
Began in the 1950’s with a series of research projects
Criminal justice procedures and their inte
elationship were examined:
Investigation
A
est
Prosecution
Pleas negotiation
Federal Involvement in Criminal Justice
1967 - President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice published The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society
A group of practitioners, educators, and attorneys created a comprehensive view of the CJ process and recommended reforms
XXXXXXXXXXCongress passed Safe Streets and
Crime Control Act
Funded the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration
Federal government continues to fund the
NIJ and the BJA
The Contemporary Criminal Justice System
Society’s instrument of social control
Task is to prevent or deter outlawed behavior by:
Apprehending
Adjudicating
Sanctioning Law
eakers
The Contemporary CJS
Three main components:
Law enforcement agencies
Investigate & a
est
Court agencies
Charge, conduct trial and sentence
Co
ectional agencies
Monitor, treat, rehabilitate offenders
The Contemporary CJS
State and local criminal and civil justice
Costs $215 billion (up 300 percent since 1982)
Employs more than 2 million people
18,000 local law enforcement agencies employ 1,000,000 people
800,000 are full-time sworn, remainder are:
Part-time officers
Civilian employees
The Contemporary CJS
There are approximately:
17,000 courts
8,000 prosecution agencies
6,000 co
ectional institutions
3500 probation and parole departments
Costs:
$100,000 to build a prison cell
$25,000 yearly to house an inmate
$30,000 yearly to house a juvenile inmate
The Contemporary CJS
A
est and Court Populations:
14 million individuals a
ested each yea
1 million convicted of felony charges in state and federal courts
1 ½ million juveniles handled by juvenile courts
The Contemporary CJS
Co
ections:
More than 7 million people under some form of co
ectional supervision
2 million in jails and prisons
5 million in community supervision:
Probation
Parole
Crime Report
Investigation
A
est
Custody
Charging Factors
Preliminary hearing/Grand Jury
A
aignment
The Formal Criminal Justice Process
Bail/Detention
Plea Bargaining
Trial/Adjudication
Sentencing/Disposition
Appeal/Post-Conviction Remedies
Co
ectional Treatment
Release
Post-Release
*
The Formal Justice Process
Criminal Justice Assembly Line
There are decision points at each of the stages of the assembly line
Each decision point is critical
The justice process is viewed as a funnel for cases
The Informal CJ Process
Most criminal cases are cooperative ventures in which all parties work together to work out a deal
Courtroom Work Group:
Prosecuto
Defense attorney
Judge
Other court personnel
80-90% of all cases are settled without trials
The Informal CJ Process
The “Wedding Cake” Model of Justice:
Perspectives on Justice
There are a variety of perspectives on justice:
Crime Control Perspective
Rehabilitation Perspective
Due Process Perspective
Nonintervention Perspective
Equal Justice Perspective
Restorative Justice Perspective
Perspectives on Justice
Crime Control Perspective:
Deter crime through the application of punishment
The more efficient the system, the greater its effectiveness
The justice system is not equipped to treat people but to investigate crimes, apprehend suspects,
and punish the guilty
Perspectives on Justice
Rehabilitation Perspective Assumptions
Care for people who cannot manage themselves
It is better to treat than punish
Criminals are society’s victims
Helping others is part of the American culture
Convicted criminals can be successfully treated
Perspectives on Justice
Due Process Perspective
Provisions for fair and equitable treatment for the accused
Every person deserves their constitutional rights and privileges
Need to preserve Constitutional rights and democratic ideals takes precedence over the need to punish the guilty
Decisions must be carefully scrutinized to avoid e
ors
Perspectives on Justice
Nonintervention Perspective
Criminal justice agencies should limit involvement with criminal defendants
Labeling individuals as criminals is harmful and disruptive
Stigma locks people into a criminal way of life
Decriminalize, divert, and deinstitutionalize
Perspectives on Justice
Equal Justice Perspective
Equal treatment for equal crimes
Decision making standardized and structured by rules and regulations
Individual discretion reduced and controlled
Inconsistent treatment produces disrespect for the system
Restorative Justice Perspective
Restorative Justice Perspective
Offenders should be reintegrated back into society
Coercive punishments are self-defeating
Justice system must become more humane
Perspectives in Perspective
During the past decade crime control and equal justice models have dominated
Rehabilitation, due process, and the least-intrusive treatment have not been abandoned
There is no single view that is the right or co
ect view
Ethics in Criminal Justice
Justice personnel function in an environment where moral ambiguity is the norm
Enormous power granted to criminal justice employees
Ethics and law enforcement:
Police have authority to deprive people of their liberty
Police are granted wide discretion
Police serve as the interface between the power of the state and citizens it governs
Ethics in Criminal Justice
Ethics and the courts:
Seeks justice for all parties in a criminal matte
Prosecutor has dual-role:
Represents people
Represents the court
Defense Attorney has dual-role:
Defense advocate
Officer of the court
Ethics and co
ections - significant coercive
power over offenders