Three Goals of the Criminal Justice System

1 To control crime by arresting, prosecuting and punishing offenders 2 To prevent crime by harsh punishments that deter crime 3 To provide and maintain justice by fairness in that all citizens are equal before the law and that they are free from arbitrary arrest or seizures as defined by the law

Structure of the Criminal Justice System

1 Police Local Law Enforcement They are responsible for the nuts and bolts of police work and are charged with keeping the peace. They are the bulk of all police in the U.S.A. Examples are the city, village and town police, as well as the Country Sheriff State Law Enforcement Examples are State Police, State University Police, Environmental Conservation Police, State Parks Police Federal Law Enforcement - Examples are FBI, DEA, Secret Service, ATF, Postal Service

2 Courts State Courts Include Local and State Level Trial Courts, Surrogates Court, Court of Claims, Supreme Court, Appellate Division and Court of Appeals. Federal Courts Include District Courts, Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court Court Room Work Group Includes the Judge, Prosecutors and Defenders

3 Corrections Probation The most common correctional treatment which allows a defendant to remain in the community under supervision Incarceration In jail for less serious crimes for less than one year, in prison for serious crimes for more than one year up to life in prison Community Based Corrections Includes parole, half houses, residential centers and work release programs

3 Discretion Ability of criminal justice officials to make operational decisions based on judgment instead of formal rules of official information

The Wedding Cake Model ( Figure 1.5 of Book )

Top Layer: Consists of celebrities cases that attract the most attention and publicity

Second Layer: Consists of High Profile felony cases

Third Layer Consists of ordinary felonies such as burglaries, thefts and robberies where no weapon is used

Fourth Layer Consists of misdemeanors and violations

Crime Control Model

Places primary emphasis on the right of society to be protected from crime and violent criminals It values speed and efficiency resulting in lower crime rates and seems to punish and repress crime It assumes the police are in the best position to determine guilt or arrested suspects and judges should operate under a presumption of guilt

Due Process Model ( See chart on page 20 )

Places value on the right of the individual to be protected from the power of government The state must prove a persons guilt within a process designed to safeguard personal liberties as enumerated in the Bill of Rights. This process makes it more difficult to prove guilt The courts are the primary role of upholding the legal procedures of establishing guilt

Issues in Criminal Justice Today

1 Fear of Crime Although the U.S.A is a safer place for the most citizens than it has been in decades, most Americans feel that crime is a serious problem The media, particularly through skewed deductions of crime news, distort public perception

Criminal Justice and the War Against Terrorism

Terrorism - The use of threat or violence to achieve political objectives Traditional methods dealing with terrorism have failed Creation of the Department of Homeland Security

Exam Tips

Consensus/Conflict Models 6 Categories of Crimes and what they are Property Crime = Most common crime Local Police Nuts and bolts of police, majority of police in the U.S. Difference between Courts Difference of courts in NYS Probation most common punishment, study details Difference of Jail/Prison Remember USA operates under innocent assumption 4 Layers of Wedding Cake Model Difference of Crime Control