Criminal Justice Today

Crime:1. Violates criminal law.

2. Is punishable by criminal sanctions.

Consensus Model: Society, though

diverse, shares the same moral value system.

Crimes violate this value system and are deemed harmful to society.

Conflict Model: Society is

diverse and constantly engaged in a power struggle.

Dominant groups in society codify their values into law.

An Integrated Definition:1. Punishable under criminal law as

defined by a society.2. Considered an offense against

society as a whole, not against the victim and his or her friends.

3. Punished by statutorily determined sanctions that bring about a loss of personal freedom.

Violent Crime:MurderSexual

assault/rapeAssault/batteryRobbery

Property Crime:BurglaryLarceny/theftMotor vehicle

theftArson

Public Order Crimes:Behavior that has

beenlabeled criminalbecause it is

contrary toshared social values,customs and norms(e.g. publicdrunkenness).

White Collar Crimes:Illegal acts

committedby an individual orbusiness entity usingsome non-violent

meansto obtain a personal

orbusiness advantage(e.g. embezzlement).

High Tech Crime:Crimes directly

related to the increased

use ofcomputers andtechnology by

society.

Organized Crime:Illegal crimes by

illegalorganizations,

gearedtowards satisfying

thepublic’s need for

illegalgoods and

services.

Three General Goals of the Criminal Justice

System:

To control crime To prevent crime To provide and maintain justice

Based on Federalism: Law Enforcement

Local, State and Federal Agencies Courts

Dual court system of State and Federal Courts

Corrections Incarceration, Probation and Community

Corrections

Criminal Justice as a

system: an orderlyprogression of

eventsthrough a processcomprised of

agenciesworking together.

Herbert Packer compared the

idealizedCriminal Justice

Systemto an assembly-

line.

Crime Control Model:A model of criminal justice that placesprimary emphasis onthe rights of society

tobe protected from

crimeand violent

offenders.

Due Process Model:A model of the

criminaljustice system thatplaces primaryemphasis on the

rightsof the individual to beprotected from thepower of

government.

Which model prevailstoday?

Responding toterrorism, or the

threatof violence to achievepolitical objectives.

Key issues in criminal justice today include:

Fear of crime Increasing rates of crime Gangs Guns Illegal drugs

Get tough on crime and tougher determinate sentencing laws have led to a growing prison population.

Agencies are seeking new strategies to help

them become more efficient at fightingdomestic and international crime.

Strategiesinclude: Cooperation Globalization Militarization DNA Profiling