Introduction to Criminal Justice | Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice | Dr. Joel Caplan PART ONE
Crime and the Criminal Justice System Course Introduction System: a regularly interacting or interdependent group of parts forming a unified whole, whose operations
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are directed toward
The Criminal Justice System:
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It is a “system” because
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Parts
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Due to the very nature of the criminal justice system being a “system”, it is multidisciplinary, interdependent,
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and As you learn about one part of the criminal justice system, think about how it relates to other parts.
• Think about the relationships among the wide variety of people and agencies within the CJ system.
• Think about how the whole CJ system relates to other social systems Vary your perspective. Crime and Justice in America 1. Crime and Justice as Public Policy Issues The notion that operations of a system can be influenced by the environment is, in part, why we can say that
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matters of crime and justice are Priorities and actions developed by government to use public resources as a means to deal with issues
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affecting society is the definition of Crime and justice are public policy issues because people, institutions, and processes of government:
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produce
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create and operate
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allocate
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Introduction to Criminal Justice | Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice | Dr. Joel Caplan Social problems vary from place to place, and the perceived severity of these problems also varies. This is why policies and practices within the criminal justice system can vary from
2. Models of Criminal Justice Administration
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Assumes that freedom is so important that every effort must be made to repress crime.
Emphasizes efficiency, speed, finality, and the capacity to apprehend, try, convict, and dispose of a high proportion of offenders.
Generally speaking, this model values efficient case processing and punishment over the possibility that innocent people might get swept up in the process.
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Assumes freedom is so important that every effort must be made to ensure that criminal justice decisions are based on reliable information.
Emphasizes the adversarial process, the rights of the accused, and formal decision‐making procedures.
Generally speaking, this model emphasizes justice as protecting the rights of individuals and reserving punishment for those who unquestionably deserve it. These values are stressed even though some guilty defendants may go free because the evidence against them is not conclusive enough.
Each model is a different way of looking at the goals and procedures of the criminal justice system. Elements of both models appear throughout the system You may have heard these models, or variations thereof, be referred to as "conservative" or "liberal" models.
There may be times when this distinction is appropriate. But generally, the criminal justice system and its related policies are too complex to be labeled in this way. Instead, consider the goals of various policies and practices of the criminal justice system and question what is best for outcomes in the “short‐term” or “long‐ term” or both terms. In this way, political taglines disappear and you can begin to see how both political ideals have some value. 3. Types of Crimes
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Crime are intended to reflect societal values. Crimes are often defined by Some behaviors deemed criminal reflect a broad consensus in society that these actions are so harmful that
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they must be punished. These are referred to as
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Examples include
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Other laws ban certain activities that different segments of the public may find debatable. These are referred to as
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Examples include
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Introduction to Criminal Justice | Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice | Dr. Joel Caplan
