The_Criminal_Justice

Criminal Justice 1 The Criminal Justice System Criminal Justice Today An Introductory Text for the 21st Century Brenda I. Harvey Professor Sanchez 8 April 2012 Criminal Justice 2 The Criminal Justice System Our Crime Justice System exists because people commit crimes; rules have been established to provide, maintain order and freedom. It is also the structural basis used to maintain social control. The criminal justice system refers to the collective institutes through which the accused person goes through until the accusations have been determined or the assessed punishment has been established (decided). “The criminal justice system consists of three (3) main components: (1) Law Enforcement (police officers, sheriffs, marshals), (2) Courts (judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers), and (3) Corrections (prison officials, probation officers and parole officers)”(USLegal Site, 2001-2012). There is no single criminal justice in the United States but many similar, individual systems; how each area of the criminal justice systems works really depends on the jurisdiction that is in charge (i.e. city, county, state federal, tribal government or military installation). Every jurisdiction has different laws, agencies and ways of handling criminal justice processes. One of the fundamental rights is that those on trial are innocent until proven guilty. Because of this the rights to a fair trial are upheld for offenders on trials; these laws are in place to make sure the offenders are not abused or cruelly punished. Criminal justice systems have been in place throughout history to ensure the safety of citizens. “From its inception, the U.S. criminal justice system has upheld the concept of Criminal Justice 3 checks and balances. To prevent authoritarian rule, the Founding Fathers separated power of the nation so that one person would never be in complete control of the society’s way of sanctioning criminals. By appointing a jury of peers to interpret the laws and the punishments for the accused, the concept of checks and balances trickled into the justice system to ensure that anyone accused of a crime would get a fair trial”(Unknown Author, 1998-2012). “The notion of a “system” suggests something highly rational – carefully planned, coordinated, and regulated”. There is a certain amount of rationality; “much of the functions of criminal justice agencies are unplanned, poorly coordinated and unregulated. No jurisdiction has ever reexamined or reformed all or even any substantial part of its system of criminal justice. Existing systems include some components that are very ancient (i.e. jury trials) alongside others that are of quite recent origin (e.g., specialized drug courts)” (J. Rank, 2011). Each of the institutes listed above have its own set of goals and priorities that sometimes conflict with those of other institutions. All of the institutions in the criminal justice system are highly reliant. “What each one does depends on what the others do, and a reform or other change in the part of the system can have major repercussions on other parts. It is therefore very useful to think about criminal justice as a whole, not only to stress the need for more overall planning, coordination and structured discretion, but to also appreciate the complex ways in which different parts of the system interact with each other”(J. Rank, 2011). Criminal Justice 4 The criminal justice system can be overwhelming, intimidating and confusing for anyone who does not work within it on a daily basis. As a victim and offender you will need to know what to expect and have support throughout the process; you will also want to know your rights and the choices you may have to make. “Today the U.S. Criminal Justice System is more refined that it’s been in the past due to the fact that modern laws are more cohesive, defined and uniform for the entire nation. The punishments for each offense are recorded, and judges are required to treat each offender in the same manner. Offenders and crime victims also have more rights than they once did in the beginning days of the U.S. Criminal Justice System” (Unknown Author, 1998-2012). Criminal Justice 5 References USLegal Site. (2001-2012). USLegal. In Criminal Justice System Law & Legal Definition. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from http://definitions.uslegal.com/c/criminal-justice-system/. Unknown author. (1998-2012). Edudecions. In The United States Criminal Justice. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from http://www.edudecisons.com/articles/criminal-justice/system.com. Rank, J. (2011). Net Industries. In Criminal Justice System-Structural and Theoretical Components of Criminal Justice Systems, The Systems in Operation, The Importance of Viewing Criminal Justice As A System. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from http://law.jrank.org/pages/858/Criminal-Justice-System.html.